


Mad Dog

by difficultheart



Series: broken chords can sing a little [2]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Basically just a bunch of Kung Fu Werewolves because this is Self Indulgent as Hell, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Gang Violence, Human Trafficking, Korean-American Tim Drake, M/M, Martial Arts, POV Second Person, Slow Burn, Strangers to Lovers, Supernatural Elements, Werewolf!Reader/OC, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-31
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:27:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 20
Words: 121,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23403727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/difficultheart/pseuds/difficultheart
Summary: You just wanted to be a normal person with a normal life, working a normal job. Then you met Tim Drake, your younger brother got kidnapped, and your twin was arrested for a murder you know he didn't commit. Forced into a criminal underworld and trying to keep your non-human nature hidden, you work with Tim to find out who is plotting against the supernatural community in Gotham before it's too late.
Relationships: Kon-El | Conner Kent/Original Male Character(s), Tim Drake/Original Character(s), Tim Drake/Original Female Character(s), Tim Drake/Reader, background Stephanie Brown/Harper Row
Series: broken chords can sing a little [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1884304
Comments: 93
Kudos: 188





	1. Mean Demeanor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _let me introduce you to some new thangs_

The first time you met Tim Drake, you didn’t think much of him. Finals were coming up and you were barely paying attention when your roommate introduced him. What did get your attention, though, was the title Stephanie Brown gave him once he was out of earshot, looking suitably uncomfortable.

“He’s my ex,” she whispered to you.

“The one you were dating when you realized you were gay?” you asked, finally looking up from your criminal law textbook.

“That’s the one!” she cheered, looking far too happy about it.

“Isn’t it… awkward for you guys to hang out with each other?” Not that it really mattered. Stephanie was so oblivious to things that even if the poor guy was sobbing, she probably would have said it was just allergies. “I mean, especially with the way you and Harper hang off of each other.”

“Nah,” she said. “He’s really cool about it. We were really good friends before we dated anyways. Plus he and Harper are both, like, massive nerds so they get along super well.”

Letting out a hum, you picked your highlighter back up. Yeah, you definitely weren’t convinced. When Tim came back, holding a bowl of popcorn and face flushed, you narrowed your eyes at him over your notes. Ducking his head, he tapped his fingers nervously against the bowl.

“Let’s go so we don’t bother your roommate,” he said. “Good… good luck on your studying.”

“Aw, Tim, don’t be so shy.” Stephanie slapped her hand against his back and you winced sympathetically. “Anyways, if you wanna join us, Areum, we’ll be in the living room.”

Honestly, the last thing you wanted to do was third wheel a friend date between two people who used to have sex. The fact that Stephanie always seemed to pick terrible movies when you watched them with her was yet another reason. And Tim’s clear discomfort at being in your room and under your scrutiny only made you more certain that this boy wasn’t worth risking your perfect GPA. Once they’d headed out of your room and out the hall, you’d already shoved him out of your mind.

But Tim Drake, apparently, had not felt the same way.

A week later, Stephanie was barging into your room again, cheeks flushed and eyes sparkling. You merely stared back at her from your desk, closing your laptop.

“One day you’re gonna barge in on me naked,” you told her, “and you’ll have no one but yourself to blame when I kick your ass.”

“Tim’s been asking about you a lot,” she gushed, completely ignoring your threat. “I told him that you’re all set to start law school soon and he was super interested. He works at Wayne Enterprises and apparently one of their corporate lawyers needs a paralegal and—”

“Whoa, whoa.” You stood up and crossed over to her, setting your hands on her shoulders. “First of all, take a deep breath. Second, Tim who?”

“Tim Drake, duh!” Stephanie looked at you like you’d grown another head. “You met him, like, last week.”

“Oh, the nervous kid?” You sighed, rolling her eyes. “Please don’t tell me you’re scheming.”

“Okay, in his defense, you’re kind of, like, really intense,” she said. “All the tattoos don’t help, Areum.”

“Not my fault if people don’t like the ink.” You glanced down at your arms, the skin covered in bright ink and intricate designs. “Going back, you said something about Wayne Enterprises?”

“Oh, yeah!” She laughed, throwing herself onto your bed. “Like I was saying, Tim was telling me that one of their lawyers needs an assistant, since the one he had quit and he was asking what you wanted to do after you got into law school and I was like, ‘Dude she’s gonna put so many people in jail.’ He was like, ‘oh cool’ and then asked if you’d be interested in getting into corporate law, too.”

“Studying criminal law doesn’t mean putting a lot of people in jail,” you sighed. “Also, I’m very much not interested in corporate law. The people who practice it are all greasy little weasels.”

Stephanie sighed dramatically, grabbing your plush Growlithe and hugging it tight. “Okay, so maybe they are gross old guys or really bitchy women. But it would be good money and it would look on your resume.”

“I hate it when you make sense,” you grumbled, sitting down at your desk. “But I doubt Tim Drake can offer me the job. He’s probably, like, an intern, right?”

“He works in R&D, actually!” she chirped, rolling to face you. “And fills in when Bruce Wayne’s secretary is out. Honestly he does, like, a dozen different jobs. He got his degree really young so people have tried to poach him for over a year. He probably can’t get you the job but he can definitely get you an interview, at least.”

“You aren’t going to let this go unless I agree to an interview, are you?”

“Nope!”

Rubbing at your temples, you reminded yourself that you loved Steph and you were not going to throw her out the window.

“Fine,” you sighed. “Tell the kid that I’ll do an interview and give him my email so he can put it on my calendar. Now can you _please_ get out of my room? I promised my dad I’d visit him today.”

“Oh, you’re going to the dojang?” Steph perked up, standing up and letting you push her out into the hall. She only grinned as you closed the door to your room behind you. “Can I go?”

“Nope.” You kept on pushing her until you were in the living room. Once she’d taken a seat on the couch, you retrieved your keys and winter coat. “Family only today. When he has open classes, I’ll let you know.”

For as long as she’d known that your father ran a taekwondo dojang, Stephanie had been begging you to take her when you visited him so she could learn from him. Turning her down was becoming more and more difficult, your excuses running low. Your father would kill you if you brought in an outsider, especially during the one time of the week when you and your family could shed your human forms.

“Well, tell him I said hi!” Steph said, watching as you shrugged on your jacket. “Also, could you ask if your mom made more kimchi? We’re running low.”

“I’ll make sure to ask.” You paused, huffing before you turned back to her. “And don’t get any funny ideas about me and the Drake kid.”

You could hear her laughter all the way to the end of the hall.

\---

Illang Dojang blended in well with the other buildings in Gotham’s Koreatown. Gold and scarlet signs announced its name in both hangul and English, the front of the building suitably gaudy enough to draw in tourists but with enough tournament awards displayed in the windows to bring in seasoned fighters, as well. You’d always hated the flickering neon of the district, the tinny sound of decades old pop always blasting from six different directions. Gritting your teeth, you ducked around to the back of the building, unlocking the backdoor and slipping inside. You were hoping that your father would be watching the front door so that you could at least avoid his usual lectures and slip into the gym unnoticed.

Luck, as it were, was not on your side. As soon as you turned around, you spotted your father leaned against one of the lockers, frowning.

“Areum,” he said.

“Hi, Dad.” You frowned back at him, shrugged off your coat and shoved it in one of the open lockers before grabbing the black uniform with your name on it. “I’m not late this time.”

“I asked you to get here half an hour early,” he said, “not five minutes before sparring starts. You were supposed to help me set up.”

“Stuff came up,” you told him, shrugging out of your clothes and slipping off your shoes once he’d faced away from you. “I have an interview lined up for an assistant position for a corporate suit.”

“You’re still focusing on your studies, I hope.” Your father tapped his foot, clearly annoyed.

“Of course I am,” you snarled. Adjusting the skintight fabric of your uniform until it was comfortable, you slammed the locker shut to signal that you were done changing. “And I already have several law schools that are interested in me.”

“You’re still being cautious?” he asked.

“Oh my god.” You ran your hand over your face, stomping over to the door to the classroom. “Yes, Dad, I’m being cautious. I’m here, aren’t I?”

“I’m just worried about you.” Your father sighed, opening the door and letting you go first. “Jintae almost got caught last month.”

Rolling your eyes, you stepped onto the mat and began stretching. Your younger brother had always been reckless, prone to letting his emotions getting the better of him. Frankly, you were offended that your father continued to think that you would do anything nearly as stupid as him.

“Well, Jintae is an idiot.” You rolled your shoulders, felt your muscles tense. As much as you hated your father’s interrogations, you loved the weekly release of these closed sessions.

“Hey!” The brother in question called from the other side of the room, scowling.

You just flipped him off, ignoring your father’s frown of disapproval.

“Look, Dad,” you said, backing towards the center of the room as your younger brother moved to join you. “I’m fine. You don’t have to worry, alright? I’m not gonna slip up and do anything stupid. Everything’s going exactly the way it’s supposed to.”

Once you turned around, you smirked up at your brother. Although he was freshly eighteen, four years your junior, he’d grown to tower over you, all lanky limbs and lean strength. You tried very hard not to be mad at him for taking after your older brothers and leaving you as the lone short child in your family. Both of you tensed, skin rippling in anticipation. Still looking like he wanted to argue, your father dropped it for the moment and joined you at the center of the mat. Four sets of gold eyes watched as he lowered his hand, signaling you to transform.

In the blink of an eye, you’d shed your human skin. Jintae had as well, a massive tawny wolf standing where he once had. You growled, pacing around him as he shook out his coat. Even as a wolf, you were smaller than him. But he’d yet to win a fight against you. Your brothers and mother emerged from the shadows, already transformed and howling softly as you lunged first. As you danced around him, dodging his snapping jaws and waiting for the right opening, you had to admire how much your little brother had grown. Just a year before you wouldn’t have even tried in a fight against him. Now, you kept alert, some of his attacks dangerously close to actually landing. But his temper got to him and he twisted his head too far. Lunging once more, you closed your jaws around his throat, knocking him onto his back and pinning him to the floor.

After a short whine, you released him and stepped back. Slinking back, Jintae pressed his snout against your mother, whining as she gave him an apologetic lick. One by one, you and your brothers faced off, tumbling and wrestling and snarling as you play fought. When you were all panting, your oldest brother Cheoljin laying on his back and whining, your father finally sighed and looked over the mess of exhausted wolves.

“Alright,” he said, “go ahead and shift back.”

You were the first one to do so, groaning as you flopped down to sit on the mat and push hair back from your sweat-slicked skin. Your brothers remained laid on the floor, long limbs creating a treacherous path for your father to navigate to get back to your mother. She sat in her own human form, smiling up at him. As you watched them, Jinwoo, your middle brother, rested his head on your thigh and heaved a sigh.

“How are you not dying right now?” he panted.

Snorting, you brushed his bangs back from his forehead. “Because I’m not an old man or a stupid excitable teenager,” you said.

“I’m not old,” he grumbled, but still nuzzled into your touch. “School still going okay?”

“Yeah,” you said. “Waiting on one more grade to come in for my finals, but I should be set to graduate next semester. Wife and kids?”

“They’re good.” He yawned, closing his eyes. “Mina’s been asking when you’ll come over for dinner.”

You sighed. His wife, Mina, was a sweet woman but was terribly talkative and what was supposed to be a quick dinner had a habit of turning into a five hour session of her sharing gossip in the neighborhood. You liked her, and Jinwoo’s twin boys were very cute. But you had way more important things to worry about than whether or not the lady next door to Mina was actually buying her kimchi from the market and just saying that it was homemade. She also sometimes asked you to shift so she could rub your ears, and you were _not_ okay with being a lap dog, no matter how much your brother loved it.

“I’ll see what I can do,” you told him. “I’m expecting to hear about an interview soon, but once that’s set in stone, I’ll call Mina.”

“The kids will be excited to see you too.” Jinwoo cracked one eye open, hand lazily holding your wrist so he could inspect your arm. “You got a new tattoo.”

“Just finished up the sleeve, that’s all,” you said. Your right arm was fully inked all the way to the wrist, your regular artist finally finishing the colors on the flowers that bloomed on your skin. “I’ll have to move to my legs next.”

“I, for one, look forward to the day I can watch an attorney who looks like the front girl of a shitty punk band put a serial killer in jail,” he snickered.

The slap you landed on his chest was half-hearted, but he still whined. You let your gaze wander over to your parents, who were speaking in hushed tones. Frowning, you bent closer to your brother so you could whisper.

“Is dad still handling getting older badly?” you asked.

While you, your brothers, and your mother were all wolves, your father was only human. While your mother still remained young (and could pass as your older sister if she wanted to), your father was aging less than gracefully, hair greying rapidly and wrinkles creasing his skin.

“Jintae told me that the other day, when they were out shopping, someone asked if mom was dad’s daughter,” Jinwoo whispered back.

You winced. “Fuck,” you mumbled. “And he didn’t handle it well, of course.”

“He got kicked out,” Jinwoo sighed. “Mom’s been trying to handle it, but… well, you know how she is.”

What he meant was that your mother was too kind for her own good. She avoided fights as much as she could, smiled passively in the face of adversity, and worked herself to death to support both the dojang and your family. A good wife, a good mother, and a good doormat, no matter how many times you tried to get her to stand up for herself.

“I’ll talk to her about it.” You shoved his head out of your lap so that you could stand, brushing some stray fur from your uniform. “Stephanie wanted me to bring back more kimchi, anyways.”

“Which means you’ll get not just more kimchi but about 20 pounds of whatever else mom has stocked up,” he chuckled. Jinwoo stood with you, towering over you as he stretched out his gangly limbs. “Tell Steph I said hi. She’s always welcome for dinner, too.”

“Unless you want her and Mina to talk at each other for 12 hours straight, I think that’s a bad idea.” You gave his shoulder a short pat. “But I’ll let her know you said hi.”

Jinwoo bent down to give a brief nuzzle against the top of your head before he let you go. You hesitated before approaching your mother, keeping your head bowed. Timid as she was, she still ran your little family unit.

Of course, she didn’t even notice your submissive behavior. Instead, your mother pulled you into a warm embrace, pressing kisses over your face. You growled, but sat still until she’d had her fill. While your brothers were tall and lanky like your father, you could probably pass as your mother’s twin. Both of you were small, both curvy but muscled and your mother’s friendly, round cheeks were mirrored in your own (much to your chagrin).

“My baby,” she cooed, squishing your cheeks between her hands and flashing her bright smile at you. “Your father says you’ve been doing well. Are you eating enough? Is Stephanie doing well?”

“Yes, mom.” Frowning, you shot a glare at Jintae when he laughed at your squished cheeks. “She wanted to ask for some more kimchi.”

“Oh!” Your mother perked up and you knew that if she’d been a wolf her tail would be wagging violently. “Of course! I’m so happy that she’s eating so much of it. Is she still doing okay? How is her girlfriend?”

“She’s doing fine, mom.” You sighed, sagging in relief when she finally released your face. “And Harper is good. She got accepted into a really good online program for electrical engineering.”

“That’s amazing!” Your mother clapped her hands together, so violently enthused that you felt like a storm cloud next to her bright cheer. “I’ll send some extra food home with you as celebration. Come on, baby.”

Even though you weren’t the youngest, your mother still saw you as the baby of the family. Maybe it was because you were the only daughter. Maybe it was because you were so small compared to your brothers. Or maybe it was just because you were her only child who still acted submissive towards her. You weren’t sure, and frankly, you didn’t want to know the answer. Deferring to her, you followed her up the stairs to the large apartment above the dojang. You’d grown up there, the only child with a room of your own as your brothers shared theirs. Stepping into the entry hall, you paused to look at a picture your mother had hung of your whole family. It had been taken back when you were still in high school, Jintae still your height and awkward in his preteen years. Your three older brothers all stood at the back, tall and handsome and wearing the same crooked grin you’d seen on old, old photos of your father. You, Jintae, and your mother were in the front, small and soft and laughing.

You wondered when you’d gone from your mother’s daughter to the person you were now.

(You knew the answer. You just didn’t want to acknowledge it.)

Moving into the kitchen, you stumbled back when your mother shoved three large containers of kimchi into your arms. As you watched, she unearthed more and more containers of food. By the time she was done, you could barely hold all of the bags she’d packed them into. Adjusting the weight, you sighed as she continued searching the refrigerator for anything else she could unload on you.

“Mom,” you said, voice gentle. “This is more than enough. Thank you. I’m sure Steph and Harper will be beside themselves to see this much food.”

“You need to make sure that you’re eating properly too, okay?” she said, finally closing the fridge and frowning at you. “I worry about you, baby.”

“I know, mom.” With a hesitant smile, you leaned in to let her kiss your cheek. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” She smiled, all warmth and light. “Be kind to yourself, okay? If you want to come visit before the next session, you’re always welcome.”

“Thanks.” You gave her an answering kiss on the cheek before shuffling towards the door. If you were lucky, you’d be able to sneak the food past Jintae without him stealing any of it. “Let me know if you need anything. I’ll text you when I get home.”

As you headed back down the stairs, you heard your mom call out another “I love you!” before the door gently shut behind you. With a long suffering sigh, you navigated your way carefully back down to the ground floor and made your way to the lockers. Maybe if you were really lucky, all of your other brothers would have already left.

Of course, you could never count on luck to come through. Hyunjin turned when you entered, pulling his shirt out of the locker next to yours. Although you and Hyunjin were technically twins, he was born several minutes before you and was treated like the elder sibling all your life. When Jintae was born and you were still treated like the younger sibling, it had only cemented your position as the baby of the family. In school, Hyunjin was your overbearing protector, quick to get in fights and slow to cool off. You’d gotten your first tattoos together, but while you went off to college and hoped to function in the human world as an equal, Hyunjin had gone down a very different route. The fracture had only widened through the years.

“Hey,” you finally said to break the awkward silence. “Glad you came.”

“Yeah, well.” He sighed, pulling his shirt on and covering the massive, colorful dragon tattooed on his back. “I knew if I missed any more Mom would probably cry.”

“You should come to them more often.” You opened your locker, decided to just pull on your jeans and coat over the uniform. You’d have to drop off the containers from your mother’s last food haul anyways, so you could wash and return the uniform then. “When you don’t show up I’m the one that Jintae complains endlessly to.”

Hyunjin snorted, crooked grin on his face, and for a moment it was almost like everything was fine again. That he was still just your older twin brother, not the man he’d chosen to become. It was a nice feeling, even though you knew once you went back home, the distance would grow again. You were both different people now. One of his massive hands ruffled your hair, much to your annoyance.

“One day he’ll learn to not bitch about things that are out of his control,” Hyunjin chuckled. “But I should come more often. It’s…” He hesitated. “It’s nice to just be myself. It’s nice to just be around family.”

“You’re getting sentimental in your old age,” you joked, shoving him playfully.

“It’s allowed,” he huffed. “And if I’m old, you’re old too.”

Laughing, you slipped into your shoes and jacket. Before you could pick up your food, Hyunjin was smacking your hands away and lifting some of them for you. Even with the rift that had slowly grown between you, the overprotective streak in him was a mile wide. You weren’t going to argue with him, although you did shoot him a glare before allowing him to follow you outside.

“I’ll walk you home,” he offered. “It’s starting to get dark.”

“Thanks,” you said. “If you steal some of the food, I won’t kill you for it.”

“Very merciful of you.” Hyunjin followed close behind you as you walked, dark eyes narrowed at anyone who passed you. “Any idea what Mom packed up for you?”

“Mm, not sure.” You shrugged. “Steph asked for more kimchi but otherwise, I’m not certain what she cooked in bulk for one of us to take.”

“Y’know, if she just asked us if we wanted food, she wouldn’t have to offload it on one person who might mention something about being hungry or wanting food,” he snorted.

“She won’t,” you said. “You know how she is. She’d rather wring her hands and hope someone mentions something than actually step up and ask.”

“It’s why we love her, though,” he pointed out.

“There’s also the fact that she raised us and helped us get used to living with humans,” you snorted. “But yeah, that too.”

Hyunjin only heaved a dramatic sigh from behind you. A comfortable silence stretched between you, although you had to suppress the urge to break it by asking him what he’d been doing lately. You knew, and he knew that you knew, but in that comfortable moment it was best not to bring it up. So you focused instead on your breath fogging in front of you, the flicker of neon in patches of ice on the sidewalk, the prey scent that emanated from each human that passed you by. Over the years you’d learned to suppress the predator-prey instinct, to walk amongst people that you, on some level, wanted to hunt and kill. You were so wrapped up in your own thoughts that you didn’t notice the person standing in your way until you slammed into them.

A low growl sounded from Hyunjin as he caught you, your grip on the bags of food you had tight to keep them from spilling onto the ground. Suppressing your own growl, you pushed away from your brother and faced the person who’d nearly knocked you to the ground. At the sound of Hyunjin’s growl, he’d turned to look at you with wide, dark eyes. Shaggy, dark hair, flushed ears and cheeks, body hunched in discomfort. You glared at Tim Drake as he stuttered out an apology.

“What are you doing at my apartment building?” you asked him.

“S-sorry!” Drake took a step towards you, raised his hands and then paused. Deciding that maybe touching you was a bad decision, he shoved his hands in the pockets of his coat. “Stephanie invited me over but she’s not answering the buzzer.”

“Who is this guy?” Hyunjin demanded from behind you.

Gaze sweeping up to your brother, you watched with a sinking feeling as Drake’s expression changed. There was recognition in his gaze and you knew that your chances at that interview had just plummeted to zero.

“This is Tim Drake,” you told your brother, stepping between the two men, just in case. “He and Stephanie are friends.”

Hyunjin’s eyes narrowed and you knew that if Drake said even one thing that rubbed him the wrong way, you were going to have to throw yourself into the middle of a fight. Your twin’s temper had never gotten better, only more volatile as time went on. Before he could say anything, you turned back to Drake.

“This is one of my brothers, Hyunjin. Give me a second and I’ll let you up.” Forcing a smile on your face, you nudged him closer to the door before turning back to your brother.

“Guy looks familiar,” Hyunjin muttered, shoulders tense. “Why’s he hanging around you?”

“No reason,” you lied. You took the bags of food from him, kept your voice low. “Don’t make a scene, okay? Go home, I’ll be okay.”

“You sure?” He didn’t look convinced, hands curling into loose fists.

“I’m not a kid anymore,” you growled, glaring up at him. “Go home, Hyunjin. I’ll see you next week.”

For a tense moment, you wondered if he was going to argue with you and start a fight. Instead, the tension melted from his face and he sighed. After one last glare shot at Drake, he pulled you into a brief hug, turned on his heel, and stalked off into the shadows. Shifting to hold the food with one arm, you bumped Drake out of the way and unlocked the front door for him. Before he could say anything, you turned on him, eyes narrowed.

“If you think that you recognized my brother, you didn’t. You won’t tell anyone about it, either.” When Drake just stared back at you, blinking in confusion, you snarled. “Understand?”

“Uh.” He blinked again, then nodded. In that moment, with his prey scent so strong, you decided that Tim Drake was like a rabbit with his big dark eyes and startled expression. “R-right. Yeah, of course.”

“Good.” Stalking over to the stairs, you didn’t look back to make sure he was following you. Shortly after, you could hear him jogging to catch up, keeping a small distance from you. Once you got to your door, you unlocked it and immediately raised your voice. “Stephanie, your ex is here!”

Tim Drake made a noise of affront behind you, closing the door and still following after you like a lost puppy. When you glanced back at him, the blush on his skin was borderline thermonuclear. If he did want to say anything, he didn’t get a chance. Stephanie came barreling past him and into the kitchen, watching you unload Tupperware with unbridled excitement.

“You brought your mom’s kimchi!” she cheered, rushing over and hugging you from behind. “Oh, oh, what else did she give you?”

“Mm, looks like some tofu stew, japchae, bulgogi, and some pickled radish.” You continued to unpack, Stephanie shuffling along as you began transferring food to the fridge. “Lots of stuff for dinner and lunch.”

“Your mom is the best!” Stephanie gave you a tight squeeze, ignoring your grunt of annoyance, before letting you go and turning to Drake. “Areum’s mom is the best. Her whole family gets together and does some sort of family sparring session every week at her dad’s taekwondo gym and her mom always gives her a ton of food for us to eat.”

“Your dad owns a dojang?” Drake asked, fidgeting near the sink.

“Yeah.” You raised an eyebrow, folding up the bags your mother had given you and shrugging off your jacket. “My two oldest brothers help him run it. My little brother probably will too, once he graduates high school.”

“Which one?” he asked.

“Why does that matter?” you snapped back.

Stephanie gave you a glare that you knew meant ‘play nice,’ so you sighed and brushed past Drake to hang up your coat and keys. When he didn’t immediately respond, you turned back to look up at him. You had expected him to look like a kicked puppy, but instead, he gave you an appraising look. Like he was trying to figure out what made you tick, given the fractured information he’d learned.

Suddenly, you were much more interested in this kid.

“Sorry,” you said, glancing at Stephanie. “I’m a little… tired.”

“No, it’s fine.” Drake smiled, a bit too genuine for your comfort. “I don’t mean to pry, I’m just curious.”

“… Illang,” you finally said. “In Koreatown.” Then you turned back to Stephanie, her expression strange. “Harper’s here, right?”

“Yeah.” She blinked, frowned. “How’d you know that?”

Because you could smell her. But Stephanie didn’t know what you were, and you planned to keep it that way. “Just a lucky guess. I told mom about her getting accepted, so some of that food is for her too.”

“Aww!” Stephanie switched back to her usual energetic self, bouncing past you and down the hall to her room. “Harpo, did you hear that?! Areum’s mom made food for you!”

While Steph spoke to her girlfriend, their voices muffled but still clear to you, you watched Tim Drake from the corner of your eye. He watched you back, both of you quietly sizing each other up. Despite his bunny-like first impression, you’d glimpsed something else under the surface. A natural curiosity that had led him to ask Stephanie about you, a stranger. He had recognized your brother. And he kept asking questions. The best thing for you to do was to keep him at a distance, polite but firm, pushing your more intense side. But you were curious too.

Tim Drake had recognized your brother as an enforcer for the Dragon’s Claw. That made him a threat. Not only to your family, but to your own career. If future employers knew about Hyunjin, your chances of getting hired at a firm were fucked. You wondered if he would still set up that interview, or if that had all imploded.

The moment was broken when both Stephanie and Harper came back, the latter giving you a brief hug before they dragged Drake into the kitchen with them. You slunk away, quietly closed your door behind you and settled in to do your research on Wayne and his people.

\---

The next morning, you woke up to two notifications on your phone. The first was an interview with Wayne Tech added to your calendar the following day. The second was a voicemail from your mother, her voice frantic and pleading with you to call her back because Jintae was missing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is.... just nothing but self indulgent for me lmao. i love werewolves, i love action movies, and i want more tim love, so here this is. fun fact, i had absolutely no idea if there was even a korean gang in the batman comics, but apparently there is! i am not going to be even close to any canon with it whoops. 
> 
> also a note: the "werewolves" in this are more like shapeshifters and i based the concept more on the Wolves from the Others Series by Anne Bishop (which you should all read, it's fantastic). i'll get more into that and areum's family history in future chapters, since this one was already getting a little bloated lol
> 
> also also i love how gay writers are making stephanie in the comics. i'm living for it.


	2. Hold It Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> chapter warnings: explicit violence, domestic abuse 
> 
> _after the darkness, i'm born again_

When you were little, your mother warned you about letting people see your true form. She was gentle, of course, simply told you that other people weren’t capable of knowing how special you were. Cheoljin was not so gentle. He told you that humans were afraid of things they couldn’t understand. And sometimes, when they were afraid, they got violent. Wolves were hunters, predators, but even prey could be dangerous. Humans were to be approached with caution.

Of course, most of those warnings didn’t seem important as a child. You wanted to play with the human children at your school just like you played with your brothers. Although they smelled weird to you, you didn’t see much difference between yourself and them. They cried like you cried, got mad like you got mad, laughed like you laughed. Back then, the only difference you could see was that you happened to have another skin that you could slip into.

To his credit, your father also tried his best to help you pretend to be human. He was a human himself, after all. You’d grown up with his prey scent, known it as a comfort and a constant. The few times the predator instinct had overwhelmed you, he’d pinned you to the floor, held you by the scruff of your neck and kept you there until you calmed down.

He’d had two other children to practice with, and by the time you and Hyunjin came around, he’d gotten used to it.

Then, when you were twelve years old, the illusion that you could be human shattered.

The day had started out as normal, your father patiently guiding you and Hyunjin through your forms. Taekwondo gave you structure, steadiness, he’d told you. It helped you find a center when you needed to control yourself. You could smell your mother cooking kimchi jjigae, hear your older brothers faintly arguing upstairs. Jintae sat with Cheoljin’s old Gameboy in the corner, tinny sounds of Pokemon distracting you every so often. You were moving through the final forms when the enforcer stepped through the door.

You didn’t recognize him as one, back then. Although you were keen, picked up on things that your parents tried to keep hidden from you, they’d been successful in hiding the turf wars being raged on the streets from you. This man was from the Ghost Dragons, a triad group trying to steal Koreatown from the Dragon’s Claw. They’d succeeded in bribing a few of the businesses around the dojang into giving them protection money. Your father, apparently, was the only one who’d been holding out. The man scanned the room, his eyes landing on you and sending a chill down your spine. Although he was human, he held himself with a predator’s grace.

“Didn’t know you had a daughter,” the man said, voice rough and gravelly.

“I told you that you weren’t allowed in here.” Your father stepped in front of you, broad shoulders squared. You could smell the anger on him, see it in the way his hands curled into fists. “Leave.”

The chatter upstairs had ceased. You knew that your brothers were listening now, maybe even creeping towards the stairs to come down. Jintae, however, continued to play his game. He was still a pup, didn’t know what danger felt like. You were shaking, the tension setting you on edge.

“We came to collect,” the enforcer said. He took a step forward, eyes sliding back to you. “Negotiations can be made on what kind of payment you make.”

Hyunjin growled next to you. Your father held out a hand, a silent command to stand down. You couldn’t see his face, but the tremor in his hands gave away his anger.

“I told you that I’m not paying,” your father said, voice low. “Leave, or I’ll make you.”

The next few moments seemed to happen in slow motion. You watched in horror as the enforcer’s fist crashed into your father’s face, sick crack of his nose breaking echoing in your ears. Blood spilled onto the mats and you stumbled backwards. Just as the enforcer grabbed your father by the back of his head, pulled viciously at his dark hair, you heard clothes ripping next to you. Hyunjin had shifted. His black fur, white markings similar to your own on his snout and paws, brushed against you as he crept forward. Breath caught in your chest, you watched the enforcer’s face change into horror, his grip on your father tightening.

“What the f—”

The man didn’t have time to finish. Hyunjin lunged at him, knocking him to the ground. Your father grunted, clumps of his hair ripped out. He brought his hands up to try to staunch the flow of blood from his nose. The wolf snarled in the enforcer’s face, sharp white teeth bared. The enforcer reached into his coat for a weapon with one hand, brought the other up and hit your brother once, twice in the side. But he did not move. A vicious snarl ripped through the air, his teeth flashing as he tore into the man’s throat.

Horrified, you rushed forward, tried to pull your twin off of the thrashing man, his screams wet with blood. Hyunjin snapped at you, teeth flashing just a breath away from your face, muzzle wet with gore. You stumbled back again, panting as you watched him rip and tear, gorge himself as the screams faded into wet gurgles. Your father was still on his knees, the blow keeping him down. You knew that you weren’t supposed to shift, not when there was another human there. But you couldn’t do anything about the situation in your weak form. So you shifted, senses sharpening further as you let out a warning growl. The smell of weakened prey, blood spilled, almost had you losing control. But you focused, crouched and gathered your strength before you tackled your brother.

Both of you went tumbling, snarling and snapping at each other. Hyunjin bit hard into your foreleg, a pained howl escaping you. Your claws scraped at him, bodies tumbling over the floor as you wrestled to pin him down. Jintae was crying, curled up in a corner. Cheoljin and Jinwoo came racing down the stairs, each of them grabbing one of you and pulling you away from each other. You whined, pressed your muzzle against Jinwoo, who ran his fingers through your coarse fur and tried to calm you. Cheoljin was bleeding, snarling as he pinned your twin to the floor, the wolf panting and snarling, trying to twist out of your older brother’s grip. When your mother came down, saw the blood smeared over the mats, the dead body, your father’s hands covered in blood and his eyes unfocused, her children snarling and crying and bleeding, she did not scream or cry. Instead, her face hardened and she got to work.

“Cheoljin,” she said, voice calm. “Let go of your brother.”

“But mom,” he argued, voice strained, “he’s out of—”

“Don’t argue.” There was an edge to her voice you hadn’t heard before, one that had you whining louder. “Let go.”

Bowing his head, submissive, your brother let go. Hyunjin laid still, panting and growling on the floor as your mother approached. Kneeling down, she wrapped her hand tight around his muzzle and growled in his face, eyes flashing gold.

“You will not do this again,” she snarled. There was only Wolf in her voice, commanding and dark. “You _will not_ do this again, you stupid, stupid boy.”

Slowly, your brother calmed down. He shifted back, naked and smeared with blood, eyes wild. Your mother did not hold him, did not comfort him. Instead, she grabbed the back of his neck and pointed to the dead man bleeding out on the floor.

“Why did you do this?” she demanded.

“He attacked Dad,” Hyunjin growled. “He wanted to take Areum. I was protecting the pack.”

“You lost your temper,” your mother snapped. “Do you have any idea who this man works for? You’ve put us in more danger by killing him.”

“He’s just a human,” your twin sneered. “They’re not dangerous to us.”

“They threaten our lifestyle.” Your mother tightened her grip. “What do you think will happen when his people come looking for him? They’ll find us, Wolves. Others. They’ll drive us out of our home. Do you want that? Do you want to destroy what your father and I have given you?”

Hyunjin fell silent. Once he’d gone limp, she let go of him. Standing, your mother rushed over to your father, wrapping her arms around him and speaking to him in a whisper. You continued to tremble and whine in Jinwoo’s arms, tail tucked between your legs and ears flat against your skull. The smell of blood was overwhelming, fear and anger mixing in with it. Cheoljin had gone to console Jintae, wrapping his arms around him and rocking him gently.

“It’s okay,” Jinwoo whispered to you, smoothing your fur. “It’s okay. Take your time.”

You didn’t want to shift back. You didn’t want to feel a man’s eyes on you, looking you over like you were an object to be desired when you were just a child. It was easier to be a wolf, to be something that people feared. You’d known that humans could be capable of violence, of terrible things. But now, watching your mother drag the body out to the back room, you realized the full scope of it. You also realized that it could have been you feeding on the man’s flesh, you letting the wolf take over and eliminating the threat to your family. When you shifted back, naked and bleeding and shivering, you understood the gaping chasm between someone like you and the dead human.

Jinwoo wrapped you in a blanket, led you to the bathroom and treated the bite wound on your arm. You didn’t know how your mother got rid of the body, didn’t watch Cheoljin clean up the blood. You didn’t see Hyunjin slink away into his room. But you did see your own reflection in the mirror, eyes wild and far from human.

The Ghost Dragons did not come back to the dojang after that.

\---

You called your mother in a panic, quickly pulling on jeans and a shirt, stumbling out of your room. When she didn’t answer, you cursed loudly. Bumping into the couch, you straightened out your shirt and shoved your phone in your back pocket. When someone sat up on the couch, grumbling, you barely contained a scream. Tim Drake blinked at you, hair sticking up in crazy directions and eyes bleary with sleep and confusion.

“You okay?” he rasped.

“Fuck.” You took a deep breath, calming your racing heart. You’d nearly shifted out of fear, skin rippling. “Why are you sleeping here?”

“Had a little too much beer, it got late.” He yawned. “Seriously, though, are you okay?”

The panic, apparently, had settled back in to replace fear and anger. Rubbing at your face, you grumbled another curse before pushing away from the couch and going to find your boots.

“I’m fine,” you snarled. “Just a family concern.”

“Your shirt is on backwards,” he pointed out.

Briefly, you considered picking him up off the couch and throwing him out the window. You took a deep breath and calmed down. You couldn’t lose your temper, not now. Slipping your arms out of the sleeves, you quickly turned it right way around before locating your boots and slipping them on. You had to focus on your family. Nothing was more important.

“Tell Steph to call me when she wakes up,” you said, barely glancing at Drake as you pulled on your coat and grabbed your keys. “If she asks why, just do your best disappointed face at her.”

Not waiting for his response, you slammed the door behind you and ran down the hall. You took the steps two at a time, slamming into the front door of the building. Once you were on the sidewalk you sprinted, dodging pedestrians and ignoring angry shouts aimed at you. Your heart pounded as you navigated to the dojang, towards your family. It wasn’t like Jintae to just disappear. If he went out, he always checked in with your mother. If he stayed at a friend’s place, he let you all know. By the time you had unlocked the front doors and rushed up the stairs, you were panting, out of breath.

You didn’t bother to take your boots off, storming into the front room. Cheoljin was holding your mother, her shoulders shaking with violent sobs. Hyunjin had been standing nearby, but crossed the room quickly to pull you aside.

“What the hell’s happening?” you demanded, brushing his hand from your shoulder. “Where’s Jinwoo and Dad?”

“Jinwoo couldn’t come, but he’s going to go out and search when he can,” he whispered, grabbing your arm and leading you off into the kitchen. “I don’t know where Dad went. When Mom started freaking, he stormed out.”

A growl rose in your throat, teeth and nails lengthening and turning sharp. Hyunjin gripped a little harder, bent to look you in the eye.

“Hey,” he said. “I’m pissed too, but you need to keep it together, okay? You’re the most level-headed out of all of us. Mom needs you. We all do.”

Closing your eyes, you took deep measured breaths and counted down from ten. He was right. Out of all your siblings, you were the one least likely to fly off the handle. If you lost your shit, they would do the same. Once you were certain that you were under control, you spoke.

“Do we have any idea what happened?” you asked, voice rough.

“Not really.” Hyunjin let go of you, heaving a weary sigh. “The brat told mom he was heading to an arcade with friends, she fell asleep early. When she woke up and went to check on him in his room, he wasn’t there. Calls are going right to voicemail and he isn’t answering texts.”

“Is there a chance that he just forgot to charge his phone and he’s still sleeping at a friend’s house?”

“Maybe.” He shrugged. “We haven’t checked in with his friends yet, but even if his phone was dead, one of them probably would have let us know he was with them. They’re all pretty aware that we’re… prone to being worried.”

“Fuck.” You rubbed at your temples, tried to get your thoughts to calm so that you could think straight. “I wish Dad was here.”

“I’m glad he’s not.” Hyunjin’s voice dipped into a growl. “I’d gut him for just ditching Mom.”

“Maybe he’s searching for him,” you said. “Or asking around. You and I both know that sometimes he just does things without thinking about how it makes us feel.”

It was Hyunjin’s turn to growl, his eyes flashing gold. You reached up and guided him to rest his head on your shoulder, let him huff until he’d calmed down again.

“I’m gonna go talk to Mom,” you murmured, massaging his scalp. “You and Cheoljin see if you can scent a trail.”

“Thanks.” He sighed, pulled away and ruffled your hair. “I’ll text you if I find anything.”

“Sounds like a plan, asshole,” you grinned.

“Bitch,” he muttered fondly.

Moving back into the living room, you gently removed your sobbing mother from your older brother’s arms. She buried her face in your neck, wailed so softly it made your heart ache. You watched Hyunjin and Cheoljin speak in low voices, your oldest brother seeming reluctant. Finally, he cast a glance at you before giving a short nod and heading down the stairs with your twin. Embracing your mother, you keened along with her, stroked her hair and tried to give her some amount of comfort. She had been like this when your father had kicked Hyunjin out of the house when you were sixteen, inconsolable for days until you’d tracked him down and assured her that he was okay. Losing a pup was hard on her, tore out a piece of her.

“Do you want some tea?” you asked her, voice gentle.

Your mother nodded, let you slip from her arms long enough to fetch a bottle of green tea from the fridge. When you returned, you opened it for her, watched her down the entire bottle in a series of greedy gulps. Her eyes were red, swollen, tear streaks staining her skin and a miserable cant to her shoulders. It broke your heart to see her like this, your sweet, unbreakable mother. You shrugged out of your clothes, kicked off your boots so that you could shift. Your mother watched, reaching for you once you shook out your thick fur. Whining, you put your head in her lap and let her gently stroke your fur, fingers gently scratching behind your ears. As a Wolf, you could offer far more comfort to your mother. Eventually, her tears subsided and she tipped your snout up so you were looking at her.

“Thank you, my sweet girl,” she murmured.

You huffed, let your tail wag slightly before you licked at her fingers. She smiled, although it was small and weak, and stroked your fur.

“Will you find our baby for me?” she asked, eyes watering again.

Tipping your head up, you let out a small howl of agreement. For your mother, for your family, you would go to the ends of the earth to find your brother. Your phone buzzed in your pocket and you shifted back, comfortable in your own skin. Retrieving it, you glanced at the caller ID before answering.

“You found something already?” you asked.

“Come meet us behind the grocer,” Hyunjin said, voice clipped.

“Okay if I’m shifted?”

“Better if you are.”

He hung up and you set your phone down with a sigh. Turning to your mother, you took in her haggard appearance.

“Mom, are you going to be okay if I leave for a second?” you asked.

She nodded, wrapped her arms around herself. You leaned down and kissed her cheek before you shifted into your wolf skin, nudging the door open with your head and slipping outside through the back. Once you got there, you could send one of your brothers back to keep her company. Your mother was strong, but she was also far more sensitive than any of her children, and you worried that she might spiral again without someone to comfort her. Avoiding human contact, you padded along alleys until you smelled your brothers. Slipping out of the shadows, you let out a small yip to announce your presence.

Cheoljin turned to you, face pale and mouth drawn into a thin line. Hyunjin did not turn, kept staring at something. You approached slowly, scenting the air until it hit you. Dread coiling in your stomach, you lowered your head as you stood next to your twin. A low whine escaped you.

Just behind the grocer, Jintae’s backpack had been tossed aside, blood splattered on the street. The blood was, without a doubt, your little brother’s.

\---

Once your brothers had left, preparing themselves to deliver the bad news to your mother, you gave yourself a second to gather your wits. If you were going to find your brother, or whoever had hurt him, you had to think straight. You shoved your grief to the back of your mind and carefully lowered your head to scent the backpack. You scented the blood, the whole area, your baby brother’s scent overwhelming you at first. Then you picked up someone else. A human, a prey scent, lingering on his backpack. You engrained it in your mind, in your senses, let it wrap around the smell of Jintae’s drying blood.

Smothering the growl that built in your chest, you slowly began to pick up a trail. Prowling the back alleys of Koreatown, dodging the suspicious glances of humans, you followed it. Followed it out of Koreatown and into Chinatown, past grocers and tourist traps and herbalists and bars into the red light district. It was thankfully empty so early in the day, the air clear of the stench of human lust. You followed it until it stopped, the last drop of blood smeared at a dead end. There was no door, no entrance, no fence. Just a blank, stained wall at the end of an alley, a good distance from the last building. You knew what it meant, of course. Someone had cleaned up the rest of the trail, been careful to lead you somewhere and then leave you with more questions than answers. You huffed, scented the area again to pick up on anything. All you could pick up was old blood, stale piss, and rotting trash.

But you couldn’t give up hope. Not now. Maybe Hyunjin would know something. With his contacts in the Dragon’s Claw, he could find out if there was something hidden in this area, something you couldn’t pick up on. You hated the thought of relying on the gang, asking for their help. But if it came to that… If it came to that, you would accept the blow dealt to your pride. If it came to it, you would ask the damn gang yourself. You huffed, lifted a paw to rub at your snout.

Light footsteps approached you from behind. You froze, muscles tensing. The scent that drifted to you was familiar. Prey, not Wolf. Human, male. Just the slightest trace of fear. You turned, low growl building in your throat.

A man in a bright costume you did not recognize was crouched, hands stretched palm out. The cape he wore resembled red feathered wings. You weren’t sure who this particular vigilante was, and you were confused why he smelled familiar to you.

“Easy,” he breathed, mask obscuring his eyes. “Easy.”

Your first, base instinct was to lunge for his throat, put the prey down. How dare he think he could corner you? Head lowered, you bared your teeth, growl rumbling louder. Just a human. Or maybe you could just rip into his shoulder, leave him bleeding while you made your escape. It would be so easy.

No. No, you did not want to hurt him. Not you, just the wolf, the violent urge you suppressed every day you walked among humans. You let your muscles relax but kept up the warning growl. This one needed to know to keep back. How had he even found you here? Was he just hanging around this district, decided to come mess with the big, scary dog?

“Easy, I’m not going to hurt you.” The vigilante slowly reached for his belt, pausing when your growl rose in volume. When you didn’t lunge, he opened a pouch and slowly drew out a piece of bacon. “Treat?”

Insulting. A fucking treat? Your snarl turned from low warning to actively threatening as you took a step towards him. Who the fuck did this guy think he was, offering a back alley wolf a cold piece of bacon?

“Whoa, okay!” He quickly tossed it away, held his hands up again. “No treat, sorry.”

How were you going to get past him? If you brushed past him fast enough, he likely wouldn’t catch you. Or you could jump on him and over him, use him as a spring board before running away. This man was only human. If you ran, he wouldn’t be able to catch you. While you were considering your options, you noticed him slowly creep closer. There was no doubt that you recognized his scent, but you were still having trouble placing it.

“What are you doing out here, girl?” he asked, voice low and soft. “This is a bad place for a pretty dog like you.”

Dog. You bristled. But it was better that he thought you were just a dog, not the wild thing you actually were. A wolf on the streets was more likely to get shot than a big stray. The vigilante slowly came closer, closer, until his gloved fingers just barely brushed over your snout. The snarl had died in your throat, nose flaring as you scented him. Familiar, but not familiar enough for you place him immediately enough. Maybe he was one of your classmates, a guy you’d met at a bar. But you got the distinct impression that he was not a threat to you. Cautiously, he ran his fingers through the fur on your neck.

“You look healthy,” he murmured. “No collar. Has someone been taking care of you?”

You watched him closely, tail giving a cautious wag. It felt… nice. His fingers came up to scratch behind your ear and you leaned into the touch. Nothing wrong with getting a little bit of affection from a stranger, right? He smiled, let you continue to sniff at him.

“Whoa, that’s a big fucking dog.”

Another voice came from behind him, a towering man in a red mask who smelled of blood and death. Startled, you ripped away from the vigilante, backing away and baring your teeth.

“Jason!” The familiar human turned, clearly irritated. “You can’t just sneak up on—”

Run. Now you had two people, one of them clearly a threat, cornering you in an alley. With a vicious snarl, you leapt at the vigilante, paws landing on his chest and knocking him onto his back with a startled grunt. Continuing your momentum, you launched off of him and took off down the alley.

“Idiot!” you faintly heard the vigilante yell. “You should know better—”

His voice faded as you made your escape, leaping over a fence and only slowing down once you reached the dojang. Hyunjin was waiting for you in the alley, reached out and pulled you close when you ran up to him. His fingers tangled in your fur, face nuzzling into you as you panted. You knew he was listening to the startled pace of your heart. His grip on you tightened before he pulled back.

“You okay?” he asked.

You nodded, a small gesture. Then you backed away from him, butted your head against the door. Brow still furrowed, he opened it for you. He followed you into the locker room and tossed a blanket to you once you’d donned your human skin once more. Still trying to catch your breath, you sat on the bench and pushed hair out of your eyes.

“Tracked all the way to the Chinatown side of the red light district,” you panted. “There was a human scent mixed with Jintae’s. Both of them disappeared behind an alley right before a wall.”

“Did you see what was behind it?” he asked.

“No, I scented the area as much as I could. The trail went cold. Whoever took him either lured me there or had a chance to wipe the rest of the trail.” Pulling the blanket tighter around you, you frowned up at your twin. “Do you know about anything going on in that area?”

“Not off the top of my head.” Hyunjin regarded you with a frown, hesitating. “Do you… want me to ask?”

“Honestly, no. But I think it’s our best option at this point.” You sighed, guilt bubbling in your chest at the hurt on his face. You loved your brother, but you hated the life he’d chosen for himself. You decided to change the subject. “Has Dad come back yet?”

You knew what the answer was just from the way his face darkened.

“Yeah.” He sat down heavily on the bench next to you. “Went off the second he saw me. Said that Jintae got taken because of me and the people I’d fallen in with. Mom tried to defend me and then they got into one of their screaming matches. Cheoljin told me to wait outside. Pretty sure he just kicked me out.”

You frowned, let him rest his head on your shoulder. When had things gotten so fucked up? Most of your childhood had been happy. Now things seemed to unravel weekly, fractures spreading in your family. He nuzzled into the blanket, scented it and you. You let your head rest on his, missing the casual affection you and your twin had once shown each other.

“Hey, Hyunjin?”

“Hm?”

“Why’d you do it?”

He froze, shoulders tensing. “Do what?”

You sighed. “You know what I mean.”

He was silent for a moment, contemplative. He shuffled closer to you before he finally spoke.

“It seemed like the best option.” He looked down at his hands, frowned. “I wanted to keep you safe and they don’t… they have never turned against the community, you know? And I’ve always had problems with blending in. Doing what I do, it keeps me level. I’ve never been able to control the instinct, and this gives me a reason to hunt.”

You hummed. It was a flimsy excuse, both of you knew it. There wasn’t really a reason for it, you suspected. Just a stupid decision made by a scared teenager that had lifelong consequences.

“What about you?” he asked.

“What about me?”

“Why do you try so hard to blend in with them?”

You paused. Thought about it. “I don’t know. I think… I think I just wanted to be normal as a kid and I still want to be normal now. Humans are a lot like us, so—”

“They’re not.” Hyunjin interrupted you, sat up straight to glare down at you. “You aren’t like them, and you never will be. You’re a predator, a hunter. You need to accept that, before your little ruse slips and someone gets hurt.”

“Fuck you.” You stood up, teeth bared and hands curled into fists. “I’m allowed to try, aren’t I?”

“You’re making a fool of yourself!” He stood up as well, towered over you with his eyes glinting gold.

“I was the one who convinced Dad to even let you come near our family again!” you screamed, shoving him hard in the chest. “I was the one who convinced everyone that you weren’t going to get us all fucking killed. I’m the one who’s willing to risk my whole fucking future to find our little brother, and you sit here and insult me. Fuck you, Hyunjin. You can sit up there on your high horse pretending to be some fucking apex predator and not an angry kid with self-control issues, or you can get over yourself. I’m getting tired of pretending like everything is okay every time I see you.”

“Areum—”

“Shut up.” You shoved him again, choked back angry tears. His back hit the lockers hard, his eyes wide. “I’m tired of being civil with you when you’ve never apologized for hurting our family. I try to understand you, but you’ve never tried to understand me because you’re too busy pretending that I’m some stupid baby who needs to be protected. Just because I don’t want to hurt people doesn’t mean I’m weak. It means that I’m brave enough to not resort to my base fucking instincts.”

Hyunjin stared at you, speechless. You were breathing heavily, claws out and fangs growing. The anger quickly faded and you wrestled back control, straightening the blanket and turning away from him. All that was left in you was a gnawing feeling of numbness. You felt hollowed out, grief carving itself into those empty spaces.

“Go ask your people if they know anything about that area, or about kids being taken in this neighborhood,” you finally said, voice barely audible. “If you find anything, text me. I’ll go see if I can help defuse the situation upstairs. I’ve got an interview tomorrow, but I can reschedule if need be.”

“Who’s it with?” Hyunjin asked, timid for the first time in years.

“What?”

“The interview.” He cleared his throat. “Who’s it with?”

“WayneTech.” You kept your back to him. “One of their attorneys needs an assistant.”

“Don’t reschedule it.” Hyunjin sighed. “I’ll keep things under control until you’re free again.”

Biting back another vicious comment, you left him behind in the locker room. If nothing else, you trusted that Hyunjin would do his best to find Jintae. All of you were hurting, and all of you had to do what needed to be done. You climbed the stairs, bracing yourself before you opened the door. The moment you heard silence, you knew it was bad. Heading into the living room, you assessed the damage. Only one chair had been tipped over, but there were two holes in the wall. Cheoljin sat on the floor, ice pack pressed to the bruise blooming on his jaw. Your mother was sitting in front of him, arms wrapped around her knees and hair hanging in her face. Something crashed down the hall from your old bedroom. Your older brother watched you as you retrieved your clothes from the floor, pulling them back on. All of you were quiet until your mother finally broke the silence.

“Please don’t get angry with him,” she said, voice trembling.

“Bit late for that,” you said. You slipped on your boots, met Cheoljin’s gaze. “How bad?”

“Bad,” he whispered.

Red swimming in the corners of your vision, you walked over and gently touched the top of your mother’s head. She leaned into the contact, but didn’t look up at you. The fury in your brother’s face was enough to confirm your suspicions. Slipping away, you headed down the hall towards the source of the crash. The door was still open and you could see your father’s back, hunched and heaving as he fought to catch his breath. You just watched him at first, his hands curling into fists and then uncurling again.

“You had no right,” you said, voice low.

Your father’s head snapped up, eyes wild and bloodshot. He’d been crying, though he’d never admit it. It almost made a dent in your fury. Almost.

“This is still my home,” he snarled. “I can speak my mind.”

“You know that he’s working harder than you to find Jintae.” You closed the door as you entered the room, tossed your coat aside. “He’s your fucking son.”

“Don’t you curse at me,” he spat. “I am your father—”

“Shut up,” you growled. You stepped closer to him, tipped your chin up to glare at him. “We are supposed to be a pack unit. That means that we work with each other when one of us is in danger, not lash out.”

You could see the rage boiling in his eyes, jaw twitching and fists going white-knuckled. For all of his lecturing about self-control and responsibility, everyone in the family except for him knew that Hyunjin’s anger was a reflection of his own. The only difference was that when your father snapped, he snapped harder.

“My son is gone.” His voice broke.

“That doesn’t mean that you can verbally abuse one son, then turn around and hit the other.” Your voice lowered further. “That doesn’t mean that you can hit Mom because you know she won’t hit back.”

Your father was silent.

“I’ll take care of this. Me and Hyunjin. You, Jinwoo, and Cheoljin focus on the dojang. If we need you, we’ll tell you.” You stepped closer, voice a low snarl. “And if you ever even _think_ about hurting Mom again, the next time I talk to you won’t be so civil.”

Collecting your coat, you stalked out of the room, slammed the door behind you. You didn’t say a word as you stormed out of the apartment and down the stairs. Still simmering, you locked the front doors to the gym with all the ferocity you could. You hadn’t even glanced at your phone. Shoving your hands in your pockets, you made the decision not to look at it and began your angry walk back home. You didn’t get far, though.

The only warning you got was a shout of your name before someone slammed into you, nearly knocking you off your feet. You tensed up, ready for a fight, before the familiar scent of Stephanie washed over you. Regaining your balance, you sighed as she squeezed you hard.

“You weren’t answering your phone!” She let go, fury and relief warring on her face.

“You didn’t have to come all the way out here,” you said, lowering your gaze to your feet. Honestly, you felt bad. You’d been friends with Stephanie for two years now, considered her the closest thing to a best friend you had. The fact that you’d worried her didn’t sit well with you. “Sorry, family stuff came up.”

“Is everything okay?” She cupped your face in her hands, forced you to look up at her. “What’s going on?”

“It’s…” You hesitated. Family business was family business. If you told Stephanie that your brother was taken, bleeding and hurt somewhere, there was a chance that she’d get the cops involved. But you trusted her, trusted that if you talked her down, she wouldn’t betray that trust. “Jintae didn’t come home last night. We think someone may have grabbed him off the street.”

“Oh my god.” The color drained from her face. “Areum…”

Harper jogged up behind her, shoved Stephanie aside so that she could wrap you in a hug. Although you weren’t as close with the older girl, you liked her, still considered her a friend.

“You scared us,” Harper said, keeping her hands on your shoulders as she stepped back. “Tim said you were in a rush and you weren’t answering your phone. What happened?”

“Her little brother is missing,” Steph said, face hardening. “Did you call the cops?”

“No.” You shot her a look. She knew about your brother. “You know we can’t.”

“Do you have someone looking for him?” Harper asked. “You know they say that the first 24 hours is the most important timeframe.”

“I…” You grasped for the right words. You couldn’t tell them that you’d tracked him to some dirty alley. You couldn’t tell them that Hyunjin was going to use his underworld contacts to help. “Yeah,” you finally said, voice hollow.

“You know, I could have someone help you, too.” Stephanie laughed when you looked surprised. “What? You know that I know people.”

“I can’t ask that of you.” You winced.

“You can, and you will,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest. “I know a guy.”

Before you could argue with her, you caught a familiar scent. The vigilante in the alley, the one who had been dumb enough to approach a wolf just to pet it. You whipped your head around, freezing when you saw Tim Drake running up, face flushed and out of breath.

“Good, you found her,” he gasped, bracing his hands on his knees. “Sorry, I was busy with some stuff.”

Tim Drake was the vigilante in the alley.

_Fuck._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> jason: man i wanted to pet that huge ass dog too  
> tim: i hate you so much
> 
> tim drake definitely keeps bacon and dog treats in one of the pouches on his utility belt to give to dogs when he goes on patrol and you can't convince me otherwise. 
> 
> thank you as always for reading! stay safe, stay healthy, i love you all.


	3. Doom Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _tell every friend, enemy, flesh and blood  
>  to send out the battle cry_

By the time you were fourteen, your fear of humans had faded into a cautious curiosity. As you had moved through middle school and into high school, you found that passively monitoring the changes in human population as they entered puberty was fascinating. Boys who had once been laughed at were now pursued by girls, and girls who had once thought that boys were disgusting now were obsessed with them. Some were also girls attracted to girls, boys attracted to boys, who felt confusion. You could not say that you found any of the humans attractive, but as an outsider yourself, you were drawn to observe those who felt at the fringes of the strange pack dynamics of humans. In the awkward stretch of time between middle school and high school, you watched the humans around you shift and change into new people as easily as you slipped into your wolf skin.

Boys who had once easily dismissed you now suddenly showed interest in you. Their scents changed when they were around you, and although you still remembered the man that your twin had killed, you found yourself curious about human courtship rituals.

So at the age of fifteen, you had your first boyfriend. He was nice enough. A shy human boy who was in several of your classes. He was quiet, most of the time, too embarrassed to simply be in your company. Quickly bored, you dumped him as gently as you could and tried to see if you could observe courtship in a different way. At that point, you dated a girl who had been interested in you. She was sweet, although she insisted that the relationship be kept secret. You found that humans were more reluctant to show affection, found it special in ways that were simply normal and common among your family. When Jinwoo walked in while she was kissing you, she abruptly ended the relationship and refused to talk to you afterwards.

Confused, you consulted your mother. After all, she had married a human herself, and was more likely to answer your questions honestly than your father, who had grown more and more uncomfortable with your fascination regarding humans.

“Ah,” she’d said, smile dropping slightly. “That would be because of shame.”

Shame, to you, was a strange concept. You knew embarrassment and anger and sadness, disappointment and depression, but had never been acquainted with shame. Never shame because of who you were, or who you were attracted to. It seemed strange, to shame children and loved ones for who they chose to be attracted to. Humans were strange creatures, so easy to turn on their own packs for the strangest reasons. One’s nature was simply their nature, something to embrace.

Hyunjin had his own girlfriends, his own curiosity about humans. But each one left in tears and you found that as each of you grew older, your attitudes towards humans grew further and further apart. You only grew more curious, intrigued by their systems of law and order, justice and crime; your twin, however, grew more and more angry with them, the ways that they made him feel trapped instead of free to explore his predatory nature.

Looking back, that should have been the first warning sign. But you’d all kept pretending everything was normal, even as things slowly began to degrade.

\---

You stared at Tim Drake, trying to reconcile what you’d thought of him with what you’d just learned. His face had flushed further, eyes dropping to his shoes as Stephanie shook you gently.

“Uh, earth to Areum?” she said. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“What?” You shook your head, forced yourself to snap back to reality. “Yeah. Yeah, I just…”

Harper and Stephanie both sighed in unison, an eerie thing that you filed away at the back of your head. Truly, humans continued to amaze you. Stepping forward, Steph put one hand on your shoulder and one hand on Tim’s.

“Look, Tim and I know a guy.” She shot him a look, which immediately told you that she knew exactly what the fuck her ex was up to. “Whatever people are helping you look for Jintae, this guy is even better.”

You doubted that one person was better than the connections of an underground mob, but decided to give her (and him) the benefit of the doubt. Although you were well aware that her motivation in this was likely to try to hook you up with him, you would play along for the moment.

“Fine.” You sighed, rubbing at your temples. “Whatever. Just make sure he knows that I can’t pay him.”

“Not a problem.” It was Tim who spoke this time. He’d shrugged off Steph’s hand, hesitated for a moment before giving you an awkward pat on the back that was meant to be comforting. “He’ll work for free. I’ll make sure of it.”

Your first instinct was to point out that no one in Gotham ever worked for free. Hell, you were pretty sure all the Bat vigilantes had some sort of racket going on. But you were also aware that ‘this guy’ they were speaking of was likely Tim himself and there was no way Steph would ever let him profit off of your family in their time of need. So, swallowing your pride, you heaved a sigh.

“In that case, just have him meet me tonight. He can choose the spot, just… text it to me,” you said.

“I, uh. I don’t have your number,” Tim mumbled.

“I’ll send it to you,” Harper said, pulling you back into a hug. “Steph, why don’t you and Tim go see if you can talk to her family? I’m gonna take her home.”

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” you mumbled into her shoulder.

Harper sighed and rubbed your back. Most of the time, you would have pulled away, protested. But at that moment, the affection was soothing your frazzled nerves. “Steph knows all of your siblings and your parents. Your mom loves her. And Tim will be respectful, I promise you.”

You still weren’t sure it was a good idea. You didn’t want them to see your family in this fractured state, the bruise on your oldest brother’s face and the simmering rage that had risen to the surface in your father. Most of all, you didn’t want them to see what your mother had hidden from you. But Harper was already pulling you away by the hand, Steph and Tim were already turning away and heading to the dojang. You didn’t want to make a scene. Tightening your grip on Harper’s hand, you obediently let her lead you back home and wondered if you’d ever get to see your baby brother again.

Harper helped you out of your coat and boots when you got home, took your keys from you and guided you to the couch. A blanket was draped over your shoulders, and Harper sat on the table in front of you with a sad, gentle smile.

“I know that right now you want to do whatever you can for your brother,” she said, “but the best thing you can do right now is take care of yourself. Tim and Steph will make sure their guy does right by you. And your brother is probably taking care of this too, right?”

You nodded, ashamed of yourself.

“You know that won’t make us think less of you, yeah?” Harper rested her hand on your knee. “We know you can’t trust the cops, and Hyunjin is a good guy. You do what you have to do, I’m not gonna judge you for it. But I do want to help you find a little comfort. So I’m gonna put on some Disney movies and make you some coffee and then we’re going to gorge ourselves on your mom’s food.”

Frankly, you would have preferred action movies, but you weren’t going to argue with Harper. Instead, you simply nodded and burrowed deeper into the blankets. She smiled and ruffled your hair, ignoring your snort of protest, before queuing up Tangled for you and heading into the kitchen. For the moment, you decided to play along. You took the massive mug of coffee she handed to you and picked at your stew, setting it aside and letting Harper finish it off for you. You didn’t much feel like eating, and thankfully, she didn’t push it. Tangled ended and she pulled up Lady and the Tramp next, continuing to fill your coffee and letting you rest your head on her shoulder. It was an easy affection, one shared between friends who knew that the world was slowly falling apart.

By the time the second movie was done, the sun had started to set and you were growing more and more anxious. Stephanie and Drake hadn’t come back yet, and the only update you’d received was from Hyunjin, who simply said he was ‘looking into it’. You’d gotten up from the couch, paced back and forth as Harper tried to coax you to come sit back down. She put on a movie, but you weren’t paying attention. Your pacing went from around the living room to the kitchen, then all the way down the hall towards your room. You checked your phone over and over and over, low growl building in your throat. Something had to be happening, and you no longer wanted to be sidelined. This was your brother. You were the one who’d found the initial trail. To be kept out of it was making you more and more angry. If it got worse, if you had to wait further, you were afraid that you’d involuntarily shift right there.

Then your phone popped up with a new notification. Stopping in your tracks behind the couch, you pulled up the text.

_This is Tim. Steph is with your family right now, they’re all doing okay. I got in touch with my guy. Meet him in three hours outside the Gotham Public Library. East corner, near the book drop off._

Immediately, you knew that he was lying about your family ‘doing okay’. Your father had likely stormed off again, your mother was probably crying, your older brothers were being stoic and pretending everything was okay, and your twin was keeping you out of his side of the hunt. But it was, you thought, a kind lie. However, the timeline was a bit of a problem. You needed to go drop in again to make sure everyone truly was okay. You lived in lower Gotham Proper, and Koreatown was a good half hour walk. If you stopped by the dojang, you knew that your mother would want you to stay for dinner. Old Gotham, where the library was, was a long ride on the subway. Which meant that if you were going to be there on time, you needed to start moving immediately.

 _Got it._ You texted back. _Tell your guy I’ll be there._

You shot off another text to Steph telling her that you were dropping by before rushing to the front door.

“Whoa, whoa,” Harper said, standing up from the couch. “Where are you going?”

“To get to work,” you said, giving her an apologetic smile before grabbing your boots and rushing out the door. By the time you heard her calling your name, you were already at the front door, boots on and one arm in your coat.

Patting at your pockets, you confirmed that you did have your keys and wallet before zipping up your coat and sprinting to the dojang. Your lungs were burning by the time you got there, feet stumbling as you opened the door. Stephanie came down when she heard you, easy smile turning to concern. Your head was spinning, and you cursed your body for being so weak.

“Areum, you look like shit,” she said, taking your arm and helping you up the stairs. You paused long enough to take off your boots before you let her lead you to the dining room and sit you down in a chair. “Mrs. Kim, is it okay if I get some food and stuff for her?” she called out.

“Of course!” your mother called back. You could smell her, Jinwoo, and Cheoljin in her room. Your father was not there. Not a surprise. “Give us a minute and we’ll be out.”

“That’s okay, Mom!” You winced at how breathless you sounded, happily accepted a cold bottle of tea from Steph.

Stephanie set out leftover japchae and pork belly, a big container of pickled radish. Your stomach growled and you picked up your chopsticks and devoured the food in front of you. It wasn’t until you’d finished the last piece of pork belly that you realized just how hungry you had been. Stephanie had sat down in front of you, smiled when you set down your chopsticks.

“You’re really cute when you eat, y’know,” she said, laughing when you glared at her. “What, it’s true! Like a hungry little puppy.”

“Shut up,” you grumbled, finishing off the tea and getting up to put away the remaining radish and clean the dishes. “How are they, really?”

“Not great.” She sighed, watched you from her chair as you cleaned up. “Your brothers are pretending that they’re okay, but they’re super on edge. Your mom has been crying a lot. The, um… the bruise on her cheek is pretty ugly. She told me she fell.”

“What about Dad?” you asked.

“He went to the bar.” She sighed, leaning back as you came back to sit in front of her. “He was pretty torn up too, for the brief time I saw him.”

“Cheoljin will probably go to pick him up.” You rubbed at your temples, tried to get your thoughts back in order again. “I’ve got a meeting with your guy later tonight. If I’m gonna be on time, I’ll have to leave soon.”

“Are you gonna be okay?” Steph asked. “That interview is pretty early tomorrow, and Wayne Tower is a pretty long ride.”

“I’ll be fine.” You shrugged. “I’ve had shorter turn arounds taking exams. As long as I’m conscious and physically there, the rest of it is out of my hands.”

“Maybe you should ask them to postpone,” she suggested. “I mean, your brother is missing. That’s a family emergency.”

“It’s fine.” It wasn’t fine. But if you acknowledged that, the fragile string of control you had would snap. As long as you pretended everything was still under control, you could keep yourself from breaking down. “I need the money, anyways.”

“Dude, you’re running yourself ragged.” Stephanie reached forward, took your hand in hers. “If you don’t take care of yourself, how do you expect to take care of anyone else?”

“Holy shit, I am so tired of hearing that.” You groaned, pulling your hand from hers. “Look, I’m fine.”

“Liar.” But Steph didn’t argue. Instead, she let you go, the sadness in her eyes lingering.

When this was all over, you were going to have to apologize to her for all the shit you’d shoved her into.

Taking a deep breath, you walked to your mother’s room and slowly opened the door. Both of your brothers looked up at you. Jinwoo looked exhausted. He’d likely been up all night taking care of the twins, and you just knew that he’d been out searching the second Mina had gotten home. Cheoljin’s bruise had darkened, and you worried that something in his jaw had broken from the way it was swelling. Your mother reached out for you and you felt a growl building in your throat.

Steph was right about the bruise. It was bad. It discolored most of her left cheek, dark and damning. You were furious, blood boiling as you let her draw you into an embrace. Your older brothers looked as furious as you were. Pulling back, you whined and gave your mother’s cheek a tentative lick. She winced but let out a soft laugh, brushing hair back from your face.

“My sweet girl,” she said. “It’s okay. Both of your older brothers have been worrying over me, Steph as well. I’ll make sure to send her home with some more food.”

“Mom,” you whimpered. “You should rest. Don’t worry about it, okay? Just making sure that you’re okay is enough for all of us.”

“I’ll make sure Dad makes it home, too.” Cheoljin spoke up, hands shoved in his hoodie. Your oldest sibling had always been the quietest, but the most responsible. While the rest of you lost your minds, he was always in the background, taking care of business. “You doing okay?”

“As okay as I can be,” you told him. Jinwoo had joined the cuddle pile, his arms wrapped around both of you and soft whines coming from him. “I’m going out tonight to get us some more help.”

“That sweet boy who came with Stephanie is the one helping you, right?” your mother asked. “He’s very nice. His mother is from Busan.”

“That’s great.” You sighed. “But yes, Mom, he is the one helping me.”

“He and Mom had a pretty long conversation before he left,” Jinwoo said, giving you a knowing look. “Good kid.”

“Oh my god.” Only your family would be scoping out a potential mate in the middle of an emergency. “Look, I’m gonna head out. If I’m gonna make it to the meeting place in time, I need to go soon. I’ll keep all of you in the loop. Mom, please let Jinwoo take care of you, okay?”

She nodded, both her and Jinwoo letting you go. Fixing your hair (which your brother had mussed up), you hesitated for a moment. Although everything was fucked up, each of your family members were dealing with it in their own way. Clearing your throat, you shoved your hands in the pockets of your coat.

“If you want, I can invite Drake back here again some time,” you offered.

Your mother brightened up visibly, Jinwoo and Cheoljin each shooting you a sly grin. You only growled at them before leaving, waving goodbye to Stephanie before you left yet again. Stomach full and energy back, you glanced at your phone. You still had a little over an hour before your meeting. Cursing under your breath, you jogged to the nearest subway station. Your pass scanned without an issue and you doublechecked which line you’d need before shoving through crowds and barely making it on the green line to Old Gotham. Keeping your head down, you squeezed between an old woman knitting and a teenager playing on his Switch. You spent the entirety of your ride staring at your phone, waiting for any update from Hyunjin.

By the time you arrived at your stop, you’d heard nothing and your battery was running low.

Grinding your teeth and still feeling like you’d been sidelined, you shoved your way back out, pulled the hood of your coat up as you made your way to the library. Streetlights flickered as you walked, each sound and smell making you twitch. Thankfully the streets were fairly empty, and the few shady humans you did run into quickly turned away when your eyes flashed yellow and the growl rumbled from your chest. The library had been closed for hours when you got there, poorly lit and eerily quiet. You made your way around to the corner by the book drop off and pulled out your phone. A few minutes late, but hopefully that wasn’t a deal breaker.

As you were drafting up a text to Hyunjin asking him to just fucking call you, the smell of the vigilante, of Tim Drake, washed over you. Although your shoulders tensed, you did not let yourself show any other signs of noticing his presence. There was a soft whistle and you looked up, mildly startled to see that he had managed to hang down almost directly in front of you.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare ya!” Drake laughed, hanging upside down. You backed up a step, hip bumping into the drop-off. “You’re Areum, right?”

“… I am,” you said after a moment. You had to play dumb, you reminded yourself. Locking your phone, you slipped it into your back pocket and glared at him. “You just gonna hang there, or talk to me like a normal person?”

“Right, sorry.” With practiced ease, he flipped off the ledge he’d hung on. He landed lightly on his feet in front of you, feather-like cape settling behind him as he stood. “I’m Red Robin. Tim Drake and Stephanie Brown said your brother got taken.”

“Uh, yeah.” You blinked at him. Wow, that was… a name he’d chosen for himself. “You’re one of those Bat vigilantes, right?”

“I am,” he said with an awkward laugh. “Been active out here for a few years. I would’ve brought a resume, but I didn’t think to.”

Great, the costume made him think he was funny. Glaring at him, you shoved your hands in the pockets of your coat and gave him a long, slow look over.

“And why should I trust you to help us out?” you asked. “I’ve never even heard of you, just the regular Robin. What makes you superior to my own connections?”

“Well…” he cleared his throat, and you could see a blush on the tips of his ears. “I don’t know what your own connections are, but I’ve got quite a few of my own which are all above board. I figured you might be a little skeptical. If you want, I’m willing to look at whatever you’ve found with you and prove myself.”

If it weren’t for the fact that you very much had most of your help coming from below board, you might have been a little offended at the assumption. Tattoos and tattered clothes didn’t always mean criminal. But you swallowed down the anger. At this point, you needed all the help you could get.

“Everything I’ve found is back in Koreatown,” you told him, pushing back off the wall and stepping closer. “I just rode the subway from there. Why the hell’d you make me come all the way out here if we were just gonna go back?”

“I would’ve met you out there,” he said, hands held up defensively. “But I had a few things I needed to do out here, and figured you might want to meet me earlier rather than later.”

He was right, but you didn’t want to admit it. Instead, you hooked a finger in his utility belt.

“Planning to ride the subway wearing this?” you asked.

“Nah, I’ve got my own wheels about a block away.” Although you’d wanted to get under his skin, he only grinned down at you. His ears were still a bright shade of red, though. Small victories.

“Alright.” You stepped back, motioned for him to go ahead. “Lead the way, Red Robin.”

It was a short walk, both of you keeping to the shadows as he stepped into an alley. He stopped by a motorcycle, sleek and painted black. Drake tossed a helmet to you before swinging a leg over the bike and glancing back at you.

“Getting on?” he asked.

Nose scrunching at the acrid scent of gasoline, you shoved the helmet on and hopped on the bike behind him. You wound your arms around him tight, jerking as he started the motor and sped off. The hum of the engine was near deafening, even muffled through the helmet. Grumbling, you pressed yourself closer against his back and ignored the way your stomach turned when he took sharp turns and ducked around cars. Before you were prepared for it, the bike came to a halt just a few blocks away from the grocer. He parked it deep in the shadows of an alley, hidden behind a dumpster. Legs a little wobbly, you ripped the helmet off and stood.

“Found stuff over this way,” you ground out, working out a knot in your neck as you walked off towards the grocer. You heard him behind you and stuck to the shadows, pulling your hood back up just in case anyone was out and about who could recognize you.

Once you got to the spot, you felt your stomach clench again. The spot hadn’t been touched. Your baby brother’s blood was dry now, but the backpack was exactly as you’d left it. Hyunjin, you figured, had probably ordered people to keep away. Swallowing the lump in your throat, you motioned to the backpack and bloodstains.

“That’s… that’s his backpack,” you told him. You forced yourself to sound cold, emotionless. “Found it earlier. I… we just assumed that the blood is probably his.”

Drake didn’t say anything at first. He cocked his head, observed the area. Then he stepped forward, crouched in front of the backpack.

“Do you mind if I touch anything?” he asked.

“No.” You shook your head, moved to lean against the wall next to him. “Go nuts.”

Leaning forward, he opened the backpack, sorted through its contents. You already knew what was in it. His old Gameboy, homework, some comics, his wallet. Drake sorted through it, turning it over before carefully placing it back in the bag. He seemed to linger on everything, enough to make you feel antsy. Finally, he turned to the bloodstain, gently tracing one finger over it before letting out a soft huff.

“Why are you just staring at everything?” you finally asked, shoving off the wall.

“I’m analyzing it. I have a few forensic analysis programs hooked up to my mask,” he answered.

“Right, of course.” You sighed. “Why didn’t I even consider that?”

“Think I have a trail,” he said, ignoring you.

You already knew there was a trail. But you decided to play along, see if his high tech gadgetry really had any kind of an edge over your own hunt. Quietly following behind him, you observed him as he stalked along the alleys, paused every so often to reanalyze another spot of blood. You scented the air yourself every so often, although your senses were dulled in this human skin. The streets were busier, the people walking the neon-lit sidewalks just across from you drunk with either lust or cheap alcohol. You stuck closer to Drake, kept your eyes open for anything you hadn’t noticed before.

Stuck in your surroundings, you didn’t notice that Drake had stopped until you ran into his back. You started to complain, but were cut off when he placed his hand over your mouth. Before you could shove him away, he’d shoved you against the wall in a closed off corner of the street. You stared up at him, eyes wide. He simply shook his head, pressed himself closer to you and kept his gaze over your shoulder.

That’s when you heard the voices.

“ _Think one of the triad groups are in on this?”_ you heard a gruff voice ask in Korean.

“ _Maybe_ ,” an all too familiar voice answered. You stiffened. “ _Trail goes through a lot of their territory, stops cold just at the boundaries of it. Be pretty fucking bold of them to take one of ours, though_.”

Hyunjin was there, with one of his men. Your nostrils flared, trying to scent both of them. Drake bent closer, other arm resting above your head. All you could get was him, his scent, warmth of his body pressed against yours. Frustrated, you tried to squirm out from under him. He only pressed harder, shooting a glare down at you. How he’d communicated the gesture through his mask was truly a wonder. But you stilled, listened to their chatter.

“ _Other kids have been going missing. One of them was up in Little Italy, too_.” They were closer now. You closed your eyes. “ _Maybe someone’s making a power move_.”

“ _Pretty stupid to do that with a bunch of different groups all at once.”_ Hyunjin snorted. “ _Listen, doesn’t matter what they’re trying to do right now. We get my brother back. You talk to some of your people in the area, report back to me immediately_.”

“ _Got it. I’ll see if I can get any of the ladies in the area to spill any info, too_.”

“ _I’m gonna see if I can find anything outside of the spot where the trail stopped_.” Your twin sighed, voice so close you knew he was only a few steps away. You held your breath, could feel Drake holding his, too. “ _You spot Jintae, it’s open season on anyone else around him, yeah_?”

“ _Loud and clear_.” The first man paused. You could hear their steps pass you, then suddenly stop. “ _You good, boss_?”

Your eyes flew open. You watched as Drake’s jaw tensed, his hand above your head curling into a fist. Your stomach sank. You knew without seeing him that Hyunjin had caught your scent. Not just yours, but Drake’s too. If he just took a few steps back, peered into the darkness, he would see you with one of the vigilantes he had taken to hunting.

“ _Yeah_ ,” he finally said. “ _Just thought I heard something_.”

Their voices faded as they continued away from you, both you and Drake slowly relaxing. He pulled his hand from your mouth, backed away so he wasn’t crowding you any longer.

“Sorry,” he said, voice low. “I thought it would be bad for you to be caught with me.”

“You were right,” you said. Already, you could hear the rant you’d get from Hyunjin. He hated vigilantes with a passion, thought they were worse than cops because at least the police could be bought. He’d killed more than one who’d trespassed on his territory. “You know who my brother is.”

“Hyunjin Kim is one of the top enforcers for the Dragon’s Claw,” he said, mouth quirking into a smirk. “I’d be pretty bad at my job if I didn’t recognize him.”

“Then you know that we already have another group working on finding Jintae,” you said. “I’m not proud of it. Honestly, I’d rather stay out of whatever my brother is involved in. But sometimes—”

“Desperate times call for desperate solutions.” He held up his hands. “I’m not judging. And I’m not going to tell anyone, either. But let me do my thing. I’ve got some information now. Give me some time and I might be able to at least get an idea of where your brother might be.”

“I don’t know how much time he has,” you snapped. “I… it’s already almost been a full day since he last texted anyone. The more time passes, the lower his chances of survival are.”

“I know.” He rested his hands on your shoulders. “But I’ve been doing stuff like this for years. I promise I’ll be in touch with you the second I find anything about where he might be. It won’t take me days, I’ll put the work in on it. You just have to trust me.”

How could you trust Drake, when he had two faces? How could you trust him when you barely even knew him? Even if he was still friends with Stephanie, was friends with Harper, you barely even knew him. It stung, having to rely on human technology instead of the Hunt. But if that’s what it took…

“Fine.” You brushed his hands off, took a step out of the alley. “But if my brother finds something first, I will go with him.”

“That’s fine.” Drake’s voice was soft. “We’ll see each other again, Areum.”

You watched as he scaled the wall, vaulted with a practiced grace over the rooftops. Once he was out of sight, you let out a heavy sigh.

Truthfully, you felt like you were being torn in two different directions. On one side was a vigilante, a friend of a friend who was allowed to do what he did by the powers that be. On the other was a criminal organization, your brother and his bosses and underlings, money soaked with blood paid off so cops would look the other way. You wanted to find Jintae by yourself, but you knew that simply wasn’t possible. You were only one wolf, and your instincts could only take you so far. Shoving your hands in your pockets, you slipped into the crowded streets of Chinatown and made your way back home.

\---

The sun rose and you did with it, fitful sleep and nightmares plaguing each step. You went through the motions, pulled your nice dress out of your closet and a cardigan that covered your tattoos. You showered, made yourself coffee, got dressed like a zombie. Just going through the motions, nothing more. You put on make-up, pulled your hair into a ponytail and put on a nice pair of pumps. When you glanced in the mirror, you barely recognized yourself. Like this, you looked too polished. Too fake, too mass produced. But it was what employers wanted, and what this WayneTech lawyer was no doubt looking for. Collecting your coat and scarf, you wrote a quick note for Steph telling her where you were going before putting it on the fridge and heading out the door.

It was a testament to your self-restraint that you didn’t check your (now fully-charged) phone until you were on the green line to Wayne Tower.

There was a text from Cheoljin letting you know that he’d gotten your father home from the bar unscathed. One from Jinwoo, letting you know he was on the Hunt a few hours later. Mina had taken a few days off from work to stay home with the children. There was a couple from Stephanie and Harper, both late last night wishing you luck. A few updates from Hyunjin: he had a lead, he was following it, and he’d call you after your interview to loop you in. Finally, there was one from an unknown number. It was Tim Drake, though he’d identified himself by his stupid code name. Apparently, he also had a few ideas about where your baby brother might be and was tracking them down.

You’d have to be content with that for the moment. Shuffling off at your stop, you turned off your phone and hoped that nothing important happened in the next hour or so.

Wayne Tower was exactly what you’d expected. Lavishly decorated while simultaneously cold and impersonal. You checked in with one secretary, got directed to the 13th floor, checked in with a second secretary, and then sat in a far too comfortable chair to wait for the attorney to come out and meet you.

Thankfully, it didn’t take as long as you’d been afraid it would.

“Ms. Kim?”

You looked up at the voice, stood to greet a tall man with slicked back auburn hair and a well tailored suit.

“That’s me,” you said.

“Jason Bard.” He extended his hand. You shook it briefly, put on your best fake polite smile. “This way, if you would.”

You followed him into a large office, one wall entirely a window that looked out over Gotham. Bard sat behind his desk and motioned for you to take a seat in one of the chairs in front of him. You did so, placing your resume in front of him before sitting back and tugging your sleeves down. He glanced over it, face unreadable. Finally, after a moment, he spoke.

“Timothy Drake was the one who referred you to us, is that correct?” he asked.

“Yes, sir,” you said. “He thought I might be a good fit for the position.”

“You’ll be graduating from Gotham State soon?” He didn’t phrase it quite like a question.

“Yes,” you said. “I already have an invitation from their law school, as well as interest from Metropolis University and NYU.”

“You’ve got quite the record,” he commented. “Model UN in high school, graduated valedictorian, Dean’s List every year at GSU so far. Why does this job interest you?”

The question took you by surprise for a moment, but you quickly recovered. “To be frank, Mr. Bard, I need the money. I’ve got a scholarship that covers my schooling and living expenses right now, but once I graduate my financial situation won’t be as solid.”

“Why WayneTech in particular?” he asked, sharp eyes meeting your own.

If you were honest, you really only cared about how good it would look on a scholarship. But interviews weren’t the place for honesty.

“I think that the advances this company is making not only in biotechnology but in improving the lives of Gotham’s citizens and those around the country are astounding,” you lied. “Being able to say I work for such a prestigious company would be an honor.” The second part was a bit more honest.

Bard simply watched you for a moment. Analyzed you. Then he stood up. Startled, you did the same. Without a word, he motioned for you to follow him. Confused, you did so, walking down several flights of stairs to the Human Resources office. He knocked on a door and opened it, handing your resume to the woman who answered it. Then he turned back to you.

“Let me make something clear to you, Ms. Kim. This job was guaranteed for you from the moment Timothy Drake attached his name to yours. But that doesn’t mean that I won’t fire you the second you step out of line.” His eyes had hardened further. “If you show up and do your job, we won’t have any problems. Clear?”

You stared up at him, stunned. Who the hell was Tim Drake? How did his name carry that much power that just suggesting you had you hired? When Bard let out a dissatisfied grunt, you have him a hurried nod.

“Good. HR will complete the process and you’ll start within the week.” Bard looked you over, frowning. “And buy yourself some blazers that do a better job of covering your tattoos.”

With that, he left. You stood in the HR office, stunned. It was only after the woman who had taken your resume cleared her throat that you came back to reality, ears flushed and feeling more than a little offended. She offered you a hesitant smile and guided you through the new hire paperwork, explained the background check that you would go through. Apparently Bard looked over some of the military contracts WayneTech received, and as his assistant, you’d need a security clearance. By the time you were finished, you left the building in a daze.

Somehow, you’d managed to land a job, but didn’t feel particularly satisfied. Pulling your phone back out, you powered it on and froze.

You had six missed calls from Hyunjin and one voicemail. Fingers shaking, you jogged as quickly as you could in your heels to the subway station and listened to it.

_“Listen, I’m sorry I’m calling while you’re busy but it’s important. I found Jintae. Or, well, I found where he is. Or where I think he is. That’s not… look, if you don’t hear back from me after this, come to The Dragon’s Den in Chinatown.”_

Once the voicemail ended, you looked at the timestamp. Almost thirty minutes ago. Taking a deep breath, you boarded the line to Chinatown and texted the number Drake had used as Red Robin.

_Hyunjin may have found our little brother. Haven’t heard back. Meet me in Chinatown, Dragon’s Den. Half an hour._

Sliding your phone in the pocket of your coat, you settled in for the ride and prepared yourself for the fight ahead of you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have a dog and i can promise you that he has absolutely zero concept of what shame is
> 
> we gettin' that good good martial arts action in the next chapter, i promise. didn't do a whole lot of editing on this one since i've been playing a ton of animal crossing and it probably shows lmao
> 
> thank you all for reading!! i love you, stay safe, stay healthy.


	4. Do or Die

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> chapter warnings: explicit violence
> 
> _i'm a one girl army_

By the time you were sixteen, you’d grown comfortable with human nature once more.

They seemed benign for the most part, these strange creatures with their prey smell. So wrapped up in their own lives, many of them without a pack unit of their own. You’d made a few friends, dated a few more people for a short amount of time. Cheoljin had graduated from university, started teaching classes in the dojang while your father focused on managing it. Jinwoo was engaged to a human woman your parents had approved of, was planning on getting married within the next year. You’d focused on schoolwork above all, made a few friends but focused on your own ambitions. Human law was a difficult practice to get into, and you had to make a conscious effort on your own schooling if you wanted to have a chance at practicing it.

Then another Wolf came to your school.

His name was Sebastian, and he’d transferred in from Metropolis. While Hyunjin was immediately aggressive, you found yourself curious about how he’d lived. The two of you sniffed each other out on the first day and he’d smiled, seemingly delighted to find someone else like him. At first, you’d simply helped him out with his schoolwork. He was terrible at math, excelled in history and science. Three times a week he came over and studied in the living room with you, trading his stories of living among humans with you. Your mother always made him stay for dinner, sent him home with leftovers. He lived by himself, didn’t have a pack of his own. Your brothers always seemed on edge when he was around, but wouldn’t tell you why.

Every day after school, you would both walk along the river that separated upper Gotham Proper from lower Gotham Proper. Sometimes you talked about school, sometimes you talked about the humans around you and how odd they seemed. Other times, you just talked about your lives. Sebastian didn’t have many friends at school other than you, seemed to bristle when humans talked to him. You hadn’t thought much of it then. After all, your twin had a difficult time around humans, too.

A few months into your friendship, he started acting strangely. His hand would linger on your lower back, on your shoulder. Sometimes he would lean in closer than he needed to, whisper into your ear so his lips brushed against your skin. You knew it was courtship behavior, but there was an odd edge to his eyes when he looked at you. You weren’t attracted to him, not in that way, and the way he seemed to watch you made you uncomfortable. Sebastian had been a good friend and it was nice to have another Wolf around. You felt bad for his loner status as well. So, you didn’t say anything. You just weathered it, didn’t make any attempts to return his affection, but didn’t turn him away either. You’d hoped that eventually he would stop.

You should have known better.

“You know, you don’t have to keep acting so coy,” he said one evening, as you walked along the river’s edge.

“What do you mean?” you asked, genuinely confused.

“Look, we’re both Wolves.” He grabbed your arm, not hard enough to hurt but firm enough to keep you in place. “It’s only natural for us to be interested in each other.”

Frowning, you pulled out of his hold. “I’m not interested in you that way.”

“Of course you are,” he said. “You’re a female, I’m showing you attention.”

“I don’t like you,” you said, firmly. You took a step back. “You’re a friend, that’s all.”

He went to grab you again, but you were prepared this time. With a low growl, you grabbed him by the wrist, yanked him forwards so your other hand gripped him by the throat. His eyes widened, but he stilled when you tightened your grip.

“Listen to me,” you snarled. “I am not interested in you. I will never be interested in you. If you keep up this behavior, not only will you lose me as a friend, you’ll lose a few fingers as well. Understood?”

He gave a slight nod and you let him go, your own skin rippling. Was this really all boys saw you as? Not just the humans, but the wolves, too. Furious, you turned away from him, prepared to storm home by yourself and announce that he was no longer welcome in your home. You were taken by surprise when you were knocked over, face pressed hard into the dirt. Growling, you fought against the weight that had settled on top of you. Sebastian’s scent was strong, his clothes tearing as he half-shifted. You managed to drive an elbow into his ribs, his grip on the back of your head going slack as he whined. Turning onto your back, you snarled up at him, tried to get your knees in between your body and his. His hands closed around your throat, squeezed hard. The fury had overtaken him, fur sprouting from his skin and sharp claws pricking your skin. Gasping for breath, you went into survival mode, punching and kicking as hard as you could. The edges of your vision began to go dark and you gave in to instinct, hands shifting and claws lashing out for his throat.

Your claws sank into the soft skin, found only a small amount of resistance before they ripped through. The hands around your throat stopped squeezing and you sucked in deep breaths, chest heaving as you stared up at him. Warm, thick blood dripped onto your face, slow at first before it came in great gushes. The light in Sebastian’s eyes suddenly faded, his body toppling onto yours. Panicked, you let out a whimper as you shoved him off of you, scooted backwards and away. Blood pooled on the ground under him, his body terribly, eerily still.

It hit you, all at once, that you had just killed someone.

Bile rose in your throat and you scrambled into the reeds, fingers sinking into the damp soil as you vomited. Gasping for breath, you looked down at your hands, skin covered in blood and dirt. Fighting back another wave of nausea, you stood on shaking legs and walked to the river. The water was foul, but you still used it to clean the blood from your hands, from your neck and face and hair. Horror slowly faded into a terrible numb feeling. You stared at the body for a moment, tried to reconcile that it had once been your friend. Your friend who had attacked you, given into his basest instinct.

The sun began to sink below the horizon and you finally gathered yourself. Your clothes were smeared with dirt and mud, hair dripping with fetid water as you stumbled home. Most of the evening was a blur at that point. You remembered your mother doting on you, sitting you in the tub and washing the grime from your skin and hair. You remembered your father staring at you in muted horror, disappearing to the gym for the rest of the night. You remembered your brothers, Cheoljin gently pressing you for the location of the body, leaving with a dark look in their eyes. When they returned, their teeth were slick with blood. You remember Jintae shifting, curling around you in your bed, licking at your chin and whining until you buried your face in his fur.

But most of all, you remember being afraid. Not of the boy you had killed, not of the power he had displayed over you for a split second.

You were afraid because killing him had felt _good_.

\---

Less familiar with Chinatown than your own home turf, you had to consult a few off the beaten path sites to confirm the location of the Dragon’s Den. Once you left the station, you moved with a determination, hoping few people would recognize you as an outsider. No one bothered you, too wrapped up in their own business. As you walked, you tried to formulate a plan. If Hyunjin was unresponsive, it was possible he’d been captured as well. You also had no doubt that if he went down, he would take as many people down with him as he could. But even with thinned out resistance, you had to assume you would need backup from Drake in his alter ego. You were strong, had higher stamina than your brothers and your father, moved fast. But in your human skin, you were far weaker than you true form.

You also knew that you couldn’t shift around so many humans.

The Dragon’s Den was about what you had expected. A similar front to the gambling dens and bars around it, but with two large men posted out front. You unwound your scarf from around your neck as you approached, sizing each of them up. Both were over a head taller than you, thick with muscle and heavily scarred. They didn’t pay much attention to you, both scrolling on their phones until you’d stopped in front of them. The guy on the right noticed you first, eyes narrowed as you slipped out of your heels.

“The hell you doin’?” he asked, voice rough. He slid his phone into his back pocket, the other guy with him finally looking up. “Keep movin’.”

“Ah, just a moment,” you said, flashing him a smile. Reaching down, you ripped the side of the tight skirt on your dress to free up your movement. Bouncing on the balls of your feet, you looked back up at the two confused men. “Right then, let’s get started.”

Pivoting, you spun into a jumping roundhouse kick, the blow catching the guy on the right in the jaw. You felt bone crunch under your heel. As you crouched back down, arms up to defend your head, he fell back against the wall. His head cracked against the concrete before he slumped, blood trickling from this mouth. Quickly recovering from his surprise, the guy on the left reached for the gun at his hip. Launching forward, you grabbed his wrist and wrenched it back, using your leverage to flip up and hook your leg around his neck. Once you were seated on his shoulders, you whipped off your scarf, wrapping it tight around his windpipe and pulling hard. His hands battered at you, one glancing off your hip, but you only pulled harder, straightening your spine to dig the fabric into his skin. Finally he went limp, and you stood up as he slumped to the ground. Exhaling, you bent to retrieve your scarf from his neck and picked up your shoes as a figure vaulted off the roof behind you and landed next to you.

“That was… impressive,” Tim Drake said, eyeing the unconscious men.

“Dad made me get to 5th degree by my 18th birthday,” you said, reaching up to fix your ponytail. “Think you can keep up?”

Turning to look you over, he gave you a sly grin. “I’ll do my best,” he said.

Without sparing him another glance, you opened the door and stepped inside.

The building was dimly lit, cast in shades of red and deep violet. Much to his credit, Drake didn’t try to position you behind him. Instead, he let you take the lead, steps borderline silent. You were cursing the way your own stockinged feet slid far too easily on the slick tile. Muffled conversation came from a few rooms, but otherwise the place seemed quiet. Progressing carefully, you ducked down the first hall that carried your twin’s scent. Within the first few feet you could already see signs of him. There were dents on the walls, chairs overturned and a few pools of blood. More concerning were the claw marks on the floor and walls as you progressed. If he had half-shifted, or even fully shifted, you would have to deal with the fallout of being exposed to humans. You started to turn a corner, but Drake stopped you with a hand on your shoulder, brow furrowed.

“What?” you asked softly.

“I can see movement in the next room.” His voice was directly at your ear, low enough to be barely audible to most humans. “At least six people.”

Nostrils flaring, you quickly scented the air. His estimate seemed about right, although you were annoyed his little gadgets had picked up on it first. Glancing back at him, you were startled to see just how close he was, face only a breath away from yours. A strange flush came to your face and you quickly looked away, setting your shoes down and taking a steadying breath.

“Can you make a distraction?” you asked softly.

“Can do.” He chuckled, stepping around you and tapping the side of his mask. “Leave most of them to you?”

“Please,” you said with a savage grin.

Tim Drake moved with a practiced grace. Cape billowing behind him like a set of crimson wings, he dove into the room. Pulling something from his utility belt, you watched a small metal device expand into a bo staff. The six men in the room all turned to him, faces bloodied and skin sweat-slicked. No doubt the remnants of whatever rampage Hyunjin had gone on. One of them shouted in Chinese as Tim went on the offensive. With his first blow, you sprang into action.

Sprinting into the room, you located your first target: a man drawing a knife from his belt with a bloody nose. Taking advantage of your momentum, you launched yourself off an upturned table and into a hooked kick that caught him in the chin. His head snapped to the side, blood splattering from his mouth as he went down. You continued your momentum, stepping off his head as he collapsed and launching a straight kick into the back of another man’s head. Landing in a crouch, you caught the motion of one of the men heading for you. You let him, waiting until his swing with a knife was at the apex before popping up, heel of your hand driving into his nose and the other twisting his wrist. The knife clattered to the floor at your feet. One man remained, the other two already taken care of by Drake. Bouncing on your feet, you waited for Drake to get out of the way before launching yourself at him, shoulder hitting him hard in the gut as you tackled him to the ground. Pushing yourself up, you pulled your arm back and punched him once, twice, before he went limp.

Silence fell, both of you taking a moment to collect yourselves. You shook out your hand, knuckles already beginning to bruise from the impact. Drake extended a hand to you, which you gladly took. Despite his lithe frame, he hauled you up with ease. Smoothing out your (now beyond repair) dress, you retrieved your shoes once more and glanced around the room. There were other bodies, some still breathing, others motionless, their throats and bellies torn out. A low growl started in your throat, but you managed to swallow it.

Hyunjin was getting careless.

“Tracks on the floor over here.” Drake had already moved to another section of the room, fingers brushing across the floor. “Looks like a hidden door. Give me a second…”

He stood up and felt along the walls until he found something, a light click echoing before a section of the wall slid away to reveal a descending staircase. You started to walk forward but froze. The unmistakable scent of blood wafted up, almost overwhelming. There was something else mixed into it as well, foreign and chemical and terrible. Without thinking you slapped a hand over your nose and mouth, letting out a muted sound of disgust.

“What’s wrong?” Drake asked.

“You don’t smell that?” you mumbled.

Drake only shot you a confused look. Wonderful. Whatever it was couldn’t be registered by humans. You pulled your scarf up to cover your mouth and nose.

“Must be extra sensitive. I’ll take the lead.” You started to move forward, but he put a gentle hand on your elbow to stop you.

“Look,” he said, “you’re clearly a good fighter. But if something’s wrong down there, it’s best if I take the lead. There… might be some stuff you don’t want to see down there, either.”

While it was a sweet sentiment on the surface, you bristled. You were no pup, bright-eyed and unsure. It had been a long time since you’d needed protection. But you also knew that he likely wouldn’t take no for an answer. So you took a step back and let him begin your cautious journey down the steps.

The lighting was even worse as you continued down. Your eyes adjusted to the darkness but Drake still reached out, took your wrist and guided you. The smell got worse as you descended, your eyes watering. It made your skin crawl, whatever it was. When you finally neared the bottom, he stopped and looked back up at you.

“Before we get down there…” He trailed off, uncertain. “I just, uh. Wanted to say you look nice.”

“What?” You blinked.

“The… the dress and the make-up. You look nice,” he said, voice trailing off.

If it weren’t for the horrid stench and your instincts screaming that something was wrong, you would have found his clumsy and poorly timed attempts at flirting cute. Instead, you stared at him until he turned back and let out a huff.

“Right. Sorry. Okay.” His shoulders slumped.

Just before he opened the door at the bottom, you grabbed his bicep, hoping it passed for a blind motion. He paused, glanced back again.

“Thanks,” you mumbled. “Now open the door.”

Posture straightening noticeably, Drake opened the door at the bottom of the stairs and froze. You took the last step down, pressed against his back so you could peer over his shoulder.

The basement stretching in front of you had clearly been a club of some sort at one point. The leather upholstery was ripped, blood splattered on the pulsing neon lights and sleek hardwood floor. Bodies littered the area, most of them ripped to shreds. Something moved in the far corner and your breath caught in your throat.

Hyunjin stood in the middle of the carnage, half-shifted and clearly wounded. His shirt had been ripped to shreds, torso covered in thick black fur. His hands were too large, fingers long and clawed. When he turned his head to face you, his eyes glowed an eerie yellow, ears pointed and fur dusting his jaw and cheeks. Drake was holding his breath in front of you, one hand gripping your wrist tight. You gently pulled away from him, ducked under his arm to set your shoes down and slowly approach your brother. Drake tried to reach back out and grab you, but you ducked out of the way, pressed a hand to his chest to push him back a step.

“Let me handle this,” you said, voice low. “If you come in here, things will only get worse.”

“Areum, what—”

His question was cut off by a low, sinister growl from your brother. You pressed more firmly against his chest, sent him back another step. You couldn’t see Hyunjin, but knew it wasn’t good.

“Just trust me.” You looked up at him, hoped you looked more confident than you felt. “If I need your help, I’ll let you know. Stay here, trust me.”

There was a moment of silence as he looked back at you, eyes obscured by his mask. Then he nodded, let out a defeated sigh. You gave Drake a tiny pat on the chest before turning back to the room and taking a deep breath.

You carefully navigated your way through the mutilated bodies, pulled your scarf tighter around your nose and mouth as you got closer and closer to Hyunjin. Something wasn’t right. He had enough control that if he shifted, he would have done so fully. His eyes looked unfocused as he watched you, glazed, chest heaving with panicked breaths. The smell that you couldn’t place got worse the closer you got. Once you were a few feet away, you gently raised your hands, palms up.

“It’s me…” You kept your voice low, ducked your head in a sign of submission. “It’s Areum. It’s okay.”

You took another step closer and he growled, a vicious noise that sent a chill up your spine. He’d never been this aggressive with you. Ever. Not when you argued, not when you play-fought. It was a warning growl, a sound telling you that if you got any closer, he would attack.

“Hyunjin,” you whispered. “Come on. What’s wrong with you?”

Ignoring his snarls, you took two more steps towards him. In the blink of an eye, he attacked.

You let out a startled scream as he lunged at you, barely managing to twist your body in time. His claws grazed over your belly, and you knew that if you hadn’t reacted your guts would be on the floor. Heart pounding in your chest, you stumbled over a dead body, losing your balance. Hyunjin lunged again, the back of his hand hitting you hard across the face. Blood filled your mouth, face stinging. You managed to catch yourself, grabbed a fallen bottle near you and swung. The glass shattered over his head and he let out an enraged scream, taking two steps back.

“Areum!” Drake yelled.

“Say back!” you screamed, hoping he would listen to you.

Grabbing another bottle, you broke it over his knee. The leg gave out just enough. With a grunt, you kicked at the weakened spot. It gave out completely and you winced at the pained howl that escaped your brother as he hit the ground. Scrambling over broken glass and ignoring the cuts on your hands and feet, you clambered on top of him. You wrapped one hand around the snout he’d grown, forcing his jaws shut. The other hand gripped at the back of his neck, your knees pinning his arms down. He thrashed, nearly throwing you off him. Your grip on his snout slid, blood making your palm slippery. Taking advantage, he opened his mouth and bit down hard on your wrist.

You screamed, fingers curling into a fist as his teeth sank in deeper. Fighting through the pain, you tightened your grip on the back of his neck and growled into his face.

“Stupid asshole,” you snarled, voice all Wolf. “Get control of yourself.”

His jaw clamped harder and you bit back another scream. Blood trickled down your arm, your grip on his neck hard to keep up as he continued to thrash. In this form, he was stronger than you.

“Close your eyes!” you heard Drake yell.

You obeyed just before you heard the scream of a flashbang, your ears ringing. Blinking, stunned, you could barely hear the pained whine from Hyunjin under you. Strong hands pulled you off your brother and you watched, dazed, as he slammed your brother’s face into the ground and jammed a syringe into his neck. After a moment of struggle, he fell still. The ringing in your ears slowly faded as Drake crouched in front of you, hands on your face.

“…hear me? Areum?” His voice faded in.

“I… I can hear you,” you said, wincing. “Fuck.”

“Sorry.” He gently took your arm in his hands, inspected the wound. “I didn’t want to hit you with any sort of paralyzing gas. I’m surprised your hearing came back so quick.”

Of course it did. Although the wound on your wrist would take a while to heal, you generally healed faster than humans. Shaking your head to try to dissipate the lingering ringing, you hissed when his fingers brushed over the bite.

“This is a nasty bite,” he mumbled, reaching into his utility belt and pulling out a roll of bandages. Tearing off a portion with his teeth, he took your other hand and guided you to hold it over the wound. “Keep pressure. What the hell was that thing?”

You glanced behind him, felt your heart sink. Nodding to the motionless form behind him, you fought to keep the panic from your voice.

“That’s my brother.”

Drake turned, the sharp inhale you heard only setting you further on edge. Whatever sedative he’d shot into your brother had made him shift back into his human form. Bruises and vicious lacerations covered his skin, chest rising and falling in shallow breaths. A bit of blood trickled from his scalp. Drake started to say something, but you cut him off.

“He’s not… something is wrong. I think it’s whatever I’ve been smelling. It’s radiating off of him.” You gripped the bandage around your wrist tighter. “Hyunjin would never attack me.”

“You think he was doped with something?” Drake asked.

“Maybe.” You shrugged. “Or gassed with something. This room reeks of it. It’s… chemical. Not right.”

Drake let out a thoughtful hum. Puzzle pieces were likely sliding into place for him. You let him have his thoughts, watched as he pulled a gadget from another pouch on his belt. He pressed it against your brother’s neck and with a pneumatic hiss, you watched the little vial inside fill with blood. Drake put it back in the pouch, turned your brother onto his side so he wouldn’t choke on spit or blood.

“Anything else you notice about the room?” he asked.

Standing up, you gently pulled your scarf from your face and scented the air. The chemical smell was still overwhelming, but you could pick up other smells. Wandering the room, careful to avoid stepping on more glass shards, you glanced over the bodies and continued to scent. Through the stench of blood and death and chemicals, you could faintly smell something else. Your heart swelled.

“Jintae was here,” you said, turning back to Drake. “Not too long ago.”

His brow furrowed, but he didn’t question how you knew that. At least, not yet.

“You’re sure he’s not… still here?” he asked carefully.

You shook your head. If he was, you would have picked up on him as strongly as Hyunjin and Drake.

“No.” You winced as you put too much weight on your cut foot, leaned against the wall instead. “Someone must have taken him when Hyunjin got here.”

Standing up, Drake made his way to you, urged you to lean against him and wrapped an arm around your waist. You winced as he helped you walk over to one of the booths that hadn’t been ripped to shreds. Sitting down heavily, you let him take over putting pressure on your wound. His hands were larger than you’d thought, strong. Shaking yourself from wandering thoughts, you frowned at him.

“You… must have a lot of questions,” you said, cautious.

“I have a _lot_ ,” he said, glancing up at you. “But now isn’t the time for them. Police scanner is saying there’s cars on their way here.”

“What?” You jerked away from him, started to stand until he pressed you back down. “We can’t just leave—”

“Do you see that man slumped just a few feet from us? Gaudy snake tattoo on his chest?” he interrupted.

You did. He looked familiar, but you couldn’t quite place him. Unlike the other bodies, his throat had been slit cleanly. Not Hyunjin’s style.

“Yeah.” You frowned. “Hyunjin didn’t kill him, though. He doesn’t use knives.”

“That may be true,” Drake said. “But that’s not the point. That man is King Snake. He’s the head of the Ghost Dragons.”

Your blood ran cold.

“I…” You found yourself truly speechless, staring wide eyed at the dead man.

“Your brother just started a gang war.” Drake knelt in front of you, lifted your foot to take a look at it before sighing. “We need to go now.”

Before you could argue, he slung you over his shoulder. Cheeks flushed in a mix between rage and embarrassment, you pressed your hands against his back and pushed yourself up. His grip around the backside of your thighs only tightened. Moving quickly past the bodies, he paused briefly to pick up your shoes before taking the stairs two at a time. Accepting your humiliating position, you accepted your shoes from him, holding them loosely. You lifted your head, watched as he ran through each room, barely winded despite carrying you. Once you were outside, he pulled a grappling gun from his belt and tightened his grip on you.

That was all the warning you got before he was swinging away from the Dragon’s Den. Your free hand gripped his cape, eyes squeezing closed as your stomach dropped. Wolves weren’t supposed to fly, and you were terrified of heights. Once he’d finally landed on a roof, you opened your eyes as he gently set you down. Leaning back against a smoke stack, you caught your breath and tried not to think about just how high up you were. You closed your eyes again, slid down until you were sitting.

“Fuck…” You buried your face in your hands as you heard the police sirens approaching. You’d abandoned your brother.

Drake crouched in front of you, seemed to hesitate, then reached out and placed a gentle (if awkward) hand on your head.

“I… know this isn’t much consolation. But GCPD custody is one of the safest places for Hyunjin to be right now.” When you glared at him between your fingers, he gave you an uneasy smile. “People will think he just killed King Snake. If he was out on the streets, someone would gun him down. It’ll be harder for someone to come at him in custody.”

“You’ll have to forgive me if the thought of my brother going to jail still makes me a little upset,” you snapped.

“Whoa, not saying otherwise.” He held his hands up. “Just… trying to make you feel better, I guess.”

You bit back a vicious retort. Trying to hit him where it hurt was a bad idea. You settled for sullen silence instead, staring down at the bloody bandage around your wrist and the cuts on your palms. Seeing your palms smeared with blood again made you wince. You shoved them in your coat pockets instead, standing and shoving your feet in your heels. It hurt to stand, but if Drake came at you and tried to carry you again, you would bite his hand off. Still ignoring just how high up you were, you frowned at him.

“I think I owe you an explanation for a few things.” You motioned towards his belt. “And you have some blood to test. You got a hideout we can go to?”

“I…” He hesitated for a moment. “Yeah. That bite and those cuts need to be properly bandaged, too. It’s not far from here, but I didn’t take my bike.”

You heaved a sigh.

“So you’ll need to swing around again,” you said.

“Uh… yeah.”

Grumbling, you took a moment to convince yourself that yes, this would all be worth it in the end. You threw up your hands.

“Fine,” you said. “Just… throw me over your shoulder again or—”

“Not… we don’t…” He sighed, running a hand over his face. “I can just… carry you on my back.”

Still surly, you nodded and climbed on his back when he crouched down. Drake cleared his throat when you wrapped your legs tightly around his waist, pulling the grappling gun out and swinging off the building. You hung onto him like a demented sloth, arms and legs tight around him and face buried in his neck.

You decided not to mention his flushed skin or his increased heartrate to him.

After what felt like an eternity but was likely only a few minutes, Drake swung down and landed awkwardly on top of an old medical clinic. You detangled yourself, frowning when you recognized the building. It had shut down over a decade ago, tied to some sort of drug trials that had been unethical. Drake cleared his throat, opening a hatch in the roof and motioning for you to go first. A bit hesitant, you carefully climbed down a ladder, breath catching when you got to the bottom and took it all in.

What had once been a small clinic had been transformed into something out of a cyberpunk movie. Lab equipment you didn’t recognize took up a large part of the space, along with a gigantic bank of computer monitors, a very comfortable looking computer chair, a small cot, and a mini fridge. Drake landed behind you, putting a hand on your back and guiding you to sit on the cot. As he dug out a first aid kit and tended to your wounds, you closed your eyes and tried to center yourself. You startled when he pulled off your shoes, but relaxed again when he stuttered out an apology and let you rip your tights, peeling them back so that your whole foot was bare. He took care when handling you, pausing every time you winced and murmuring apologies if you cursed.

It was… almost endearing.

Once he was done, he sat back on his heels and watched you take off your coat and scarf. You folded them neatly next to you. Taking a deep breath, you looked him in the eye (or as best you could with the mask on).

“Okay,” you said. “I think I have to tell you about my family.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tim, in his head: ok dick and jason always manage to be super smooth when they flirt with someone just before a fight. i can totally do this.  
> tim, experiencing immediate regret: I Am A Fool
> 
> i sure hope the fight scenes in this aren't terrible, because i'm really trying to get better at writing them. and yes, i did listen to the john wick soundtrack while writing them.
> 
> thank you for reading! i love y'all, stay safe and healthy.


	5. Scream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _i just wanna make you scream_

Tim Drake had settled into the computer chair, brought it over so he could sit comfortably in front of you. For most of your life, you had been sworn to secrecy. By your mother, by your father, by Cheoljin. Telling these things to a human… it was inevitable. Perhaps you could lie, paint Hyunjin as the only one of your siblings who was less than human. But there was just…something about Drake. A comforting thing. Stephanie and Harper were your pack, even if they weren’t aware of it, and if they trusted him… Well, you figured you could, too. You took a deep breath and steeled yourself to commit a crime that was punishable by death among your ancestors.

“My mother is from Jeju.” You looked down at your hands, curled your fingers and watched the bandages around your hands bend and flex with the movement. So different from the paws you found more comfortable, more natural. “She was born into a community that hid themselves from the rest of the country. They lived in the forests, adapted to the warm climate there while their brethren adapted to other climates in the parts of the world they had settled in. Her community was exclusionary, hostile towards outsiders. Mostly because they were different.”

You paused to gauge his reaction. Drake merely leaned forward, rested his elbows on his knees and waited for you to continue.

“In Korea, they called her people _illang_. Not a particularly accurate name, as her people are not human. Werewolf is a bad term for us, but the closest approximation most people can find.” You watched his face, found no fear entering his expression. Just a mild amount of surprise. “My mother, my siblings, and I are all Wolves. My father is a human and as such all of her children are… slightly more human. But we don’t identify as such.”

“You’re… not human?” he asked.

“No.” You leaned forward, rested your chin on your hand. “We simply have human skins that we can slip into. Mom hasn’t told us how our people got them, or why. We just… do.”

For a moment, the two of you simply watched each other. Your nostrils flared as you scented him. Drake didn’t smell distressed, didn’t look it, either. He simply seemed to be thinking. His fingers smoothed over his chin, and you realized he had a thin shadow of stubble. Had he gotten any sleep? Or had he been too busy tracking down leads for a boy he’d never met?

“Back in the Dragon’s Den,” he said after a moment. “Your brother, Hyunjin… you told me to stay back.”

“Something was wrong with him, and he’d killed most of those men out of instinct.” You hesitated a moment before deciding to tell him the next part. “To us, humans smell like prey. If you’d approached him, he would have torn you apart. I thought if he smelled another Wolf, it would calm him down.”

A bit of color drained from Drake’s face, but fear didn’t spike his scent.

“So, to you, humans are…?”

You sighed.

“To me, personally, humans are simply humans.” You tipped your head to the side, let a bit of the human veneer you usually put on peel away. “Strange creatures, but not food. I don’t enjoy killing, and I’d rather live a peaceful life than one spent on the Hunt. My brothers channel their urges through violence, whether disciplined and careful or not. I simply let my curiosity rule above all else.”

Silence hung between you once more. His scent was still clear of any trace of fear, but he seemed troubled, now. Brow furrowed, he scratched at his stubble. You merely watched, let the Wolf curiosity bleed in. Your eyes, you suspected, had likely taken on a golden tinge.

“You seem troubled,” you said.

“It’s… a lot.” He sighed, met your gaze and seemed to blanch slightly. Without that careful human mask you put on, no one would look at you and see you as anything but Other. “Does anyone else know?”

A casual way to ask about Stephanie, you thought. One that didn’t let his identity slip.

“No.” You bared your teeth in a semblance of a smile. “Just you, my family, and my brother’s wife. And whoever made Hyunjin go crazy.”

“Right.” Drake stood, nudged his chair to roll back towards the computer as he reached into his utility belt. “I should start getting that blood sample analyzed. I’ll… put some modifications into the system so it will recognize the blood as non-human.”

You silently watched him approach the lab equipment, stop in front of a machine. The broad span of his cape blocked your view. But soon enough there were mechanical whirring noises and he turned back to sit at his computer. As he sat and watched the screen, waiting for the results, he spun his chair and spoke up.

“Is it weird, being in your human skin?” he asked.

His curiosity, you thought, was amusing.

“Not anymore,” you answered. “When I was a kid, I hated it. Going to school felt like torture, but Mom let us all spend the rest of the time as wolves. But as I grew up and got more interested in humans, it’s not as unpleasant. I spend much more time as a human than the rest of my family. I typically go close to a week before shifting.”

“It doesn’t hurt?”

“No.” You shook your head, confused by the question. “It’s as natural as changing clothes is for your people. Sometimes I get an itch under my skin when I go for too long without shifting, though.”

“But you don’t think of yourself as human, even when your father is one?”

“No. I may have more human in me than the Wolves I’ve met, but that doesn’t make me any less of a Wolf.” You shrugged. “The Wolf will always be dominant. My brothers are… concerned sometimes that the amount of time I spend as a human will make me less Wolf. But there’s a reason I’m the smartest in my family.”

Drake let out a thoughtful noise, spun his chair a few more times.

“Were you born here in Gotham?” he finally asked.

“I was,” you said. “All of my siblings were. We used to take trips out to the wild parts of New York a few times a year when we were kids to run the wild out of us. But now most of us only make it up there once or twice a year separately.”

“Isn’t it difficult living in a big city?”

“Mm, no more difficult than it is for a dog or the animals in the zoo. There are other creatures like us that live here, too. It’s just a matter of adaptation.” You shrugged again, curled your toes against the cold concrete of the floor. “Dad forcing us all to take taekwondo as soon as we were on our human feet and walking helped us. It takes discipline for predators to live among prey.”

“Have you ever…” He paused, spinning around once before continuing. “Have you ever eaten a person?”

“I haven’t, no.” You hadn’t killed a human, either. You thought of the Wolf you’d killed years ago and shuddered. “I have no taste for killing. I don’t think it makes me a bad Wolf, though. Just a smart one.”

“What about animals?” Drake asked.

“When I’m out in the wilds, I do hunt,” you said. “I eat animal meat. Survival is one thing. But a wolf who kills a human has lower chances of surviving long term.”

Smelling a difference in him, you grinned.

“Did that help ease your fears?” you asked him.

“Just nice to know that you’re not inclined to eat me,” he said with a nervous chuckle.

“I can’t promise that I won’t bite off a finger or two if you piss me off,” you warned, “but you seem smart.”

A soft alarm came from the bank of computer monitors, drawing his attention away from you. You stood up and cautiously limped your way over to stand behind his chair as he read over the long list of results. As he read through them, you smelled a spike of anger as his shoulders tensed.

“What’s wrong?” you asked.

“I recognized a lot of the traces found in the sample,” he said, voice dark. “Some of the compounds have been changed, and there are some hormones that the machine couldn’t recognize.”

Setting your hands on the back of his chair, you squinted at the results. You couldn’t quite make sense of them. There seemed to be a great amount of chemicals with long names, which would explain why Hyunjin had smelled synthetic. Perhaps you should have studied biology or chemistry instead of human law.

“What is it?” you finally asked.

“A modified version of Scarecrow’s fear toxin.” Drake looked up at you, brow furrowed. “I think it’s a strain for non-humans.”

A low growl built in your chest and you felt your teeth grow. Someone was targeting your people. Maybe not Wolves specifically, but… You thought about what Hyunjin’s underling had said to him the night before. Forcing yourself to calm down, you pointed to the monitors.

“Did you look into any other similar disappearances?” you asked. “Children taken off the streets in a violent way like Jintae?”

“I did.” He blinked, then turned back and pulled up a different program, a map of Gotham filling up the screen. “After what we overheard, I tried to track down anything that sounded similar to your brother’s case and found about a dozen other kids taken. Most of them have been from East End, but there are a few from Little Italy, Chinatown, and… well, your brother.”

Profiles appeared and you had to swallow another growl. You recognized a few of the faces; all of them were teenagers. The ones you recognized were Wolves, either friends of Jintae or children of Wolves your mother had contacted since her arrival in Gotham. The others you could not identify, but assumed they were non-human.

“These six,” you said, pointing to faces from the East End and one from Chinatown. “They’re all Wolves.”

“The others?” he asked.

“Not sure.” You shook your head, ran your hands over your arms as you felt the itch to shift. “They might be another type of shifter.”

Drake let out a thoughtful hum, typing notes. You didn’t pay attention, too busy studying the pictures. They were all so young. Had most of them been taken the same night? Why hadn’t you heard from any of the other packs scattered in Gotham about their pups being taken? Maybe they were all still scrambling to find their own answers, deciding to hunt the perpetrators on their own. Wolves were supposed to be pack animals, deadlier in large numbers. But the city had changed you all. None of you had even thought to contact the other families. When Tim stopped typing, you tore your eyes away from the screen to look at him.

“There’s just one problem,” he said.

You thought about pointing out that there were many problems, among them being the fact that there were very angry Wolves prowling dark streets. Instead, you arched an eyebrow, waited for him to continue.

“Jonathan Crane, Scarecrow, is in Arkham right now.” He shook his head. “He didn’t synthesize this.”

“Then he knows who did,” you said, voice a low growl.

“It’s… possible.” Drake was watching you, wary. “I know some people. I could get in and question him.”

“I’ll go with you.” It wasn’t a suggestion.

“Look, I may be able to get myself in, but there’s no way they’re letting a civilian in,” he said, wincing.

“No.” You grinned, baring sharp teeth. “But they’ll let you in with your new pet dog.”

\---

A few calls to assure your family that you were fine and you had gotten the job done had gotten them off your back. They didn’t ask about Hyunjin, or Jintae, or how the hunt was going. You knew it was because they either already knew about your twin, or they were too wrapped up doing their own hunting. Stephanie and Harper had been a bit more trouble. When you’d arrived wearing sweatpants and a hoodie that were not your own, hands and wrist bandaged and makeup smudged, some… assumptions were made.

Dodging questions about what you had been up to after your interview, you simply said that you’d run into some old students from the dojang and been talked into sparring. Yes, you had gotten the job. Yes, you were very excited. Both of them sat on your bed as you changed into the tight uniform you wore when you shifted, giving you odd looks. You’d already washed off the makeup, let your hair down. You turned to them, heaving a sigh.

“What?” you asked them.

“You only wear that when you go to your family training sessions,” Stephanie said, choosing her words carefully. “It’s not that time of the week. Is something up?”

Oh, yes, something was very much up. Your twin was in lock-up, likely either being questioned about the bodies they’d found him knocked out in the middle of, or being sedated if the modified fear toxin hadn’t worn off yet. A supervillain who may or may not have been responsible for your baby brother being kidnapped was in a maximum security prison that you were about to go to in your wolf skin. You’d just spilled a carefully guarded secret to a kid you barely knew who dressed up in a costume with showgirl wings.

“No,” you said with a smile that you knew carried an edge. “Just going to work out some frustrations with Cheoljin, that’s all.”

Harper had been eying the bruise that bloomed on your face where Hyunjin had hit you. It was easy to dismiss it as a mishap during a spar, but her eyes were a bit too sharp for your liking. Sometimes it was hard to hide the Wolf from her. While Stephanie seemed to wave away your weird curiosities and habits, Harper seemed to pick up on them. Eventually, you would have to tell them, too. You’d relegated them to human pack, but perhaps it was time to let them in on the Wolf side.

That would have to be a decision for another night. You pulled out a box in your closet, dug through scarves and blankets until you found what you were looking for. Stuffing a bandana the same shade of red as Drake’s cape in your coat pocket, you pulled on a pair of sweatpants and slipped on your boots.

As you left your room, you heard both girls follow you out into the hall. You’d left your cell phone to charge as well as your wallet. All you’d need were your keys. Shoving them in the pocket with the bandana, you pulled up your hood.

“Areum?” Stephanie sounded timid. You turned to her, felt your heart sink when you saw the worry on her face. “Be... be careful, okay?”

You paused, halfway out the door. Yeah, you owed her a lot of apologies when you got all of this sorted. Stepping inside, you rushed the girls, pulling them into a loose, awkward hug. When you stepped back, both looked surprised. You attempted a smile as you stepped into the hall.

“I promise,” you said before the door closed.

Taking a deep breath, you jogged down the stairs and out onto the streets. Drake was waiting at the agreed upon spot, a dark portion of the street at the convenience store just down the block. He was wearing a mask, but the coat he wore hid the upper part of his costume and the hood obscured most of his face. When you stopped in front of him, he hesitated for a moment.

“Are you sure about this?” he asked.

“Yes,” you said. “I’m not a huge fan of pretending to be a pet, but…” You shrugged. “Whatever it takes.”

“Right.” Tim motioned to a dark sports car parked across the street. “We’ll drive there in this. So you can have some… um, privacy to change.”

“I appreciate it.” You gave a small nod, followed him over and slid into the passenger seat. The leather smelled new; likely something he had borrowed. Although, given he worked (apparently) very high up in WayneTech, it could have been his own car. “Anything I should expect?”

Drake’s jaw clenched as he started up the engine, pulled out onto the street.

“Expect the unexpected,” he finally said. “The guards know I’ll be there with a very large dog, but there’s a chance inmates could see you. Take an interest.”

You let out a thoughtful hum, slipping out of your coat. When you were closer, you would take off the sweatpants and boots as well. You’d considered not wearing the uniform that you could shift in, ducking behind some trees to strip and shift. But humans were very weird about nudity, and you didn’t want to make Drake more uncomfortable than he already was. He reeked of stress and discomfort. Part of you felt bad for putting him in the situation, but you had to be there. If you were in charge of the hunt, then you needed to step up and be more proactive.

Both of you were quiet for the rest of the drive, music from the radio soft and filling the silence. Once he took the bridge to Arkham Island, you slipped off your sweatpants, ignoring the spike of anxiety from Drake. Once he’d pulled into a dark spot of the lot outside the asylum, he turned off the engine and turned to you.

“You’re really sure about this?” he asked. “You can wait in the—”

“I’m sure,” you growled. Taking the bandana out of the pocket of your coat, you handed it to him. He wasn’t wearing gloves, skin warm and calloused. “When I shift, tie this around my neck. It’s not as insulting as a collar, but should make the other humans more comfortable about my presence.”

“Right.” Drake cleared his throat, took off his jacket and unfolded the cape. “Should I… turn around?”

“I don’t have to get naked,” you laughed. “My mother found these clothes for my siblings and I that we can shift in. But if you’re uncomfortable with the change…”

Drake looked torn, but eventually averted his eyes. Amused, you let yourself slip into your wolf skin, relief rolling over you. It had only been a day, but you’d already missed this skin. When you batted a paw against his shoulder, Drake turned around and paused. Recognition lit up his face, followed by embarrassment.

“You… you were the dog in the alley,” he mumbled.

You wagged your tail, letting out a soft ‘aroo’ of agreement. Although part of his face was hidden by the mask, you recognized the look of a human who craved death. With a heavy sigh, he leaned over and tied the bandana around your neck. When he hesitated, you pressed your snout into his hand to let him know that yes, a scratch was okay. Drake looked somewhat relieved, giving you a brief scratch just beneath the bandana before getting out of the car. After a moment, he opened the passenger door for you.

You decided you wouldn’t tease him about forgetting you didn’t have hands for the time being.

Pausing for a moment to shake out your coat, you trotted alongside Drake as he approached the gates. His breath fogged in the cold night air, and you were glad for your own winter coat. As he stopped at a certain spot in front of the gate, he slipped his gloves on and glanced down at you. The whole thing had to be weird for him, but you had to admit that he was dealing with it much better than you expected. He seemed deep in thought, fingers tapping an anxious melody against his thigh. So you pressed against his leg, shoved your head against his hand, and let out a huff.

If nothing else, you’d learned that humans found some degree of comfort from a wolf’s body heat.

Drake let out a soft laugh just as the gate buzzed and slowly began to slide open. Then his face settled into a mask of professional indifference and you sat at his side, trying your best to look like a highly trained wolf dog.

The guard who met you shot you a nervous look.

“I didn’t know you had a dog,” he said, voice cracking.

“Wolf dog,” Drake amended. “Got her as a gift from a reclusive tribe in Siberia. Trained to hunt.”

The lie amused you. Wolf dog was better than dog, after all. And it gave you an excuse to watch the guard closely, body language alert. Fear spiked in the man’s scent and you almost huffed in laughter. Apparently, Drake didn’t need to specify what you had been trained to hunt.

“Just make sure it behaves,” the guard said.

You let out a low growl, watched him take a nervous step back. Drake rested a hand on your head and you fell immediately silent. The illusion of obedience did make your pride hurt slightly, but it was worth making the human afraid. Not waiting for an answer, the guard led you into the building, the gate shutting behind you with a loud clang that made your fur bristle.

Padding along quietly next to Drake, you paid careful attention to your surroundings. Arkham Asylum was a dismal place, dark and damp and smelling of human misery. Not all the scents were human; some seemed to be twisted and distorted in a way that made you want to bare your teeth. The place was mostly silent, save for a few whispers your twitching ears caught and the occasional wail and sob. It made your skin crawl, and it took great effort to keep you from tucking your tail between your legs. The people here didn’t strike you as criminals, things to be feared. They seemed sad and scared and sick. You walked a little closer to Drake, who seemed terribly desensitized to it all. Either that, or he was hiding his reaction so effectively that even a Wolf couldn’t pick up on it.

As you travelled deeper into the building, it got quieter. The normal cells turned into specialized ones. Thick plexiglass walls were the only thing separating you from the inmates this far in. You felt eyes on you, pressed your ears flat against your skull as whispers turned into laughter and excited chatter. A few of them called out to Drake, but he ignored them, as did the nervous guard. Finally, he led you down a closed corridor to a locked room. There was a pause after he unlocked it, looked back at Drake.

“You’ve got fifteen minutes,” the guard said.

“That’s plenty,” he replied.

You followed him in, tried not to feel cornered as the door closed behind you. The room contained a table, two chairs, and a man sitting at one end. He was heavily restrained, but something about him set you immediately on edge. The normal prey scent you got from humans had been twisted. When he looked up at Drake, then at you, you thought he looked… young. Normal. The few pictures you had seen of Scarecrow had been of him in his costume, a nightmare made flesh. A few of your classmates had survived his attacks, spoke of him in terrified whispers and poorly hidden shivers. To you, Jonathan Crane just looked like a very tired graduate student, with shaggy hair and dark, hooded eyes. But your Wolf instincts new better. This was clever prey, dangerous prey.

Drake sat in the chair across from him and you remained standing at his side, stared Crane down as he watched you with open curiosity.

“Didn’t know Robins got attack dogs now,” Crane said. His voice was soft, a bit raspy from disuse.

“I’m not Robin anymore.” There was an edge to Drake’s voice that made you glance at him. He’d laid his hands on the table, but one had curled into a white-knuckled fist. “I have questions for you, Crane.”

“Can I pet it?” he asked, something in his eyes that made you deeply uncomfortable.

You let out a vicious snarl, peeled your lips back from your teeth. You kept up the snarl until he looked away, let it fade into a low, rumbling growl.

Drake smirked at him, gave your head a brief pat.

“Someone’s using a modified version of your fear toxin,” Drake said.

His hand remained on your head. Whether it was to comfort you or give the illusion of restraining you, you weren’t sure. But you appreciated it, either way. It grounded you in this place that reeked of fear and misery.

Crane lifted his bound hands to gesture at the room, then himself. “As you can see, _Robin_ ,” he said with a venom that made your muscles tense, “I’m not exactly free to do as I please. Whatever you’re looking at, I have nothing to do with.”

“It’s your fear toxin,” Drake said again. “I doubt you’d just let someone use it without some sort of agreement.”

“What benefit could I possibly get from that?” he asked with a deep sigh.

“Considering the toxin is targeting werewolves, I’d say a great benefit.” Drake stared him down, fingers idly stroking your fur as you kept up a low, menacing growl. “Just tell me who you sold the formula to.”

Crane bristled at that and you let out another snarl, ears flat against your skull and teeth bared. Collecting himself and glaring at you, he turned back to Drake.

“I don’t just sell my formula,” he spat. “You’re clearly mistaken if you think someone else is using it.”

“If I’m remembering right, it was used in an attack just a few weeks after you were jailed here by one of your followers,” Drake said. “Try again.”

Crane glared at him. There was a calculation in his gaze that made you want to leap up on the table, close your jaws around his throat just enough to warn him. Instead, you remained where you were. If he did try anything, you were faster and stronger.

“I entrusted a copy of the formula to only a select group of people,” he finally said. “Never sold it.”

“And this group of people would be?” Drake asked.

“Several interested parties who are similarly outside of public access,” he said. “And the League of Assassins.”

Silence stretched, fear spiking for a moment in Drake. You glanced up at him, wondered why the name would cause him to react that way.

“You’re saying the League of Assassins is taking kids off the streets and dosing them with this stuff?” Drake said, voice shaking with anger. “How stupid do you think I am?”

“Oh, I think you’re plenty foolish.” The smile that Crane gave him was all cruel pleasure. “What better way to sow chaos in the streets of Gotham than with children who turn into monsters?”

Drake opened his mouth to say something else, but was cut off by loud pounding on the door. A signal that your time with Scarecrow was over. Looking displeased and more uneasy than before, Drake stood. Crane smiled at both of you as the door opened. Just before it shut, he spoke one last time.

“Keep a close eye on that wolf of yours,” he said, vicious glee in his voice. “Would be quite a shame if anything happened to her.”

Just as you’d turned to throw yourself at him the door slammed shut and Drake grabbed the bandana around your throat. The growl that had been building up died in your throat as you looked up at him. He shook his head, glanced at the guard. The man looked spooked, a hand on the pistol at his hip. So you controlled yourself, settled back into obedient mode as you were led back out of the building.

Once the gate had slammed shut behind you, Drake fisted his hands in his hair, clearly frustrated. Stomping back to the car, he slammed his fist into the side of it. You approached him cautiously, pressed against him. He let out a loud sigh, looked down at you.

“If the League is in on this…” he slid down, sitting heavily on the pavement. “If they’re in on this, it’s bigger than what we think.”

You’d never heard of this League, but his reaction to it frightened you somewhat. You suspected that they were human, so if it came down to it, they would be no match for you or the angry wolves tracking their pups. Whining, you curled up against him, nudged his hand with your snout until he finally scratched you behind the ears. For a while, you simply sat with him, let him stroke your fur and gather his thoughts. Once he’d calmed down, he looked down at you.

“I have a mole in the League,” he told you. “I’ll get in touch with her, see what she can find out. But…” He sighed, shook his head. “I think Crane was bluffing. With the way he called you a wolf, the way he threatened you…”

Drake trailed off. You let out an inquiring sound, rested a paw on his leg.

“No matter what he says, I think Crane’s in on this somehow. Something’s telling me he mentioned the League just to throw me off. But… but I’ll check in, just in case. I don’t know why this is happening, or what the purpose of it all is…” He sighed, leaned his head back against the car. “So many things are leading to a dead end.”

You shifted back to your human skin, noticed the way he stiffened. In this form, this skin, you were half in his lap, hand resting on his leg. An interesting reaction, and one you filed away. Reaching up and adjusting the loose bandana around your neck, you sighed.

“Do you want my opinion?” you asked.

“Sure,” Drake said, voice strained. His hand rested on your lower back, but had frozen the moment you changed back.

“Crane has something planned. Whether it’s with this League he mentioned or someone else, there is someone outside of the walls of Arkham who is following his orders.” You huffed, glanced back at the building. “He was lying about something. You can check with your mole, but I think that the fact that this is his fear toxin means that these are his plans. I don’t know what he wants with our pups, but it can’t be anything good.”

“I’m inclined to follow your instinct, but all leads should still get checked.” Drake was watching you closely. Interesting. “It might be worth checking out his old hideouts, see if we can find anything there.”

“I suspect we will find at least some pups in one of them,” you said. “My gut is telling me this.”

“Then we follow your gut.” Drake slowly let you move off him so that he could stand, running a hand through his hair. “I’ll check his old apartment, then go down the list and—”

“You need rest first.” You stood up as well, frowned at him. “How long has it been since you slept?”

“What?”

“Your body language suggests exhaustion.” You crossed your arms, frowned at him. “And I know that you’ve spent at least one night without rest. If you don’t sleep, your work will get sloppy.”

Drake seemed at a loss for words. You considered what to say next, mulled it over before finally deciding to let him know that you had figured out his own secret.

“Text Stephanie and Harper and tell them that I am spending the night with you,” you said. When he spluttered, you held up a hand. “Don’t ask who they are.”

You reached up, touched the edge of his mask. You could smell shock on him, fear.

“Wolves have very good noses, Timothy Drake.” You smiled, kept your voice low and just barely audible. “And we’re very good at keeping secrets. Let them know I’ll be with you so they don’t worry. You need sleep, and I want to make sure you get it.”

Drake stared at you for a long moment.

“How?” he asked, finally.

“I scented you as a Wolf in the alley,” you told him. “Then recognized you outside of your vigilante persona. Like I said, I’ll keep the secret. It’s only fair, since you know mine.”

“Let’s finish this in the car,” he mumbled.

Not particularly interested in arguing, you slid into the passenger seat and watched him from the corner of your eye as he pulled back onto the highway. He was tense, stressed once more. You weren’t sure how he would react, but this hadn’t been what you were expecting. The silence in the car was killing you, so you turned the radio up, let your head rest against the window as he drove. With a car like this, you couldn’t say you were surprised when he took the exit for the Diamond District.

“Knowing who I am is a dangerous thing,” Drake finally said, voice soft.

“So is knowing what I am,” you countered. “We are both already in very dangerous situations, Drake.”

He was quiet again as he pulled into the Tower Apartments, parked in a far spot in the garage. After a moment, he turned off the engine and took off his mask. Without it obscuring his face, you could see the fear in his eyes, the dark circles under them.

“I…” He hesitated, ran his hands through his hair again. A nervous habit. “Areum, I’m scared for you.”

“I know.” You kept your voice soft, tried for a comforting smile. “But I can take care of myself and my pack.”

Drake bit his lip, drummed his fingers on the steering wheel before peeling off the top half of his costume and quickly slipping into his coat. Cute, thinking that you were at all bothered or affected by any degree of nudity. You put your own coat back on, slipped into the sweatpants and pulled up your hood as you both got out of the car. Drake was quiet as you followed him to the elevators, tapped his foot the whole ride up, and quiet again as you both went down the hall to his apartment. Once he’d unlocked and opened the door, you waited for him to flip on lights and head further in before you took off your coat and boots.

You took a moment to look around. The apartment was smaller than you thought it would be. Sparsely furnished, a little untidy but not as dirty as some of the places other human males you’d known had lived in. A degree from GSU hung on the wall, along with what appeared to be family portraits. Ignoring them for the time being, you followed his scent into the living area. Drake was on his phone, likely texting Steph and Harper to let them know where you were. When you entered, he finished up what he was doing and locked his phone before setting it down on the coffee table.

“I, uh… Don’t have a guest room,” he said.

“That’s fine.” You shrugged. “I don’t mind sleeping on the couch as a wolf.”

He cleared his throat. “Right. Well, get… comfortable, I guess? I’m gonna get ready for bed.”

“Good.” You watched him for a moment before stepping closer and reaching up to give him a small pat on the head. “Sleep, Drake. I’ll be here to watch over you.”

A flush rose to his cheeks. You watched, amused, as he mumbled something under his breath before walking as quickly as he could down the hall. A door closed and you huffed out a laugh.

Timothy Drake was full of endless amusement.

Slipping out of the rest of your clothes, you folded them and set them on one of the chairs before shifting back into your wolf skin. The bandana you didn’t mind, so you’d kept it on. Hopping up onto the sofa, you paced it a few times before finding a comfortable spot and curling up. Resting your head on your paws, you listened to the sound of the shower and let yourself drift into a short nap.

When you woke, it was still dark. You listened for any sign of activity, but could only hear deep, even breathing. You followed the sound until you were standing in Drake’s bedroom. His brow was furrowed in his sleep, comforter tossed off. He shivered and you let out an annoyed huff.

Careful not to disturb him, you crawled into bed with Drake. When he didn’t seem to wake up, you curled against his back, rested your head on his shoulder and let your eyes drift closed.

Wolves slept with the pack, offered comfort and heat when it was needed. Whether either of you liked it or not, Timothy Drake was now a member of your little human pack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> scarecrow is my favorite batman villain (other than hush and two face) so ofc i had to include him in this. i've gotten very little sleep the past few nights bc my brain hates me, so most of this was written and edited in a trance.
> 
> thank you for reading!! i love you all, stay safe and healthy.


	6. Lie, Cheat, Steal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _i'm a little black spot on a sun of lies_

The sun rose and you woke with it. Comfortable and warm in your wolf skin, you yawned, letting out a soft noise of satisfaction. At some point in the night, Drake had turned to face you. His fingers were wound in your fur, face buried in your neck. You wiggled, but he only grunted and curled further into you. Dipping your head towards him, you gave him a tentative lick on the cheek. When he grumbled but did not move to release you, you continued to lick at his cheek and jaw until his eyes fluttered open.

For a human male, Tim Drake had very long eyelashes, you noticed.

Bleary from sleep, he yawned and blinked up at you until his brain caught up. Then his cheeks turned an amusing shade of pink as he scooted away from you and nearly fell right off the bed. You let out an amused huff, jumping off the bed and navigating your way to the bathroom. After nudging the door shut and shifting long enough to relieve yourself, you slipped back into wolf and followed his scent into the kitchen. Drake had pulled on a hoodie, hair mussed from sleep. When he heard your nails clicking against the tile, he glanced over.

“Morning,” he said, voice pleasantly raspy. “Sleep well?”

You let out a soft howl of agreement, sitting down near the sink. You watched him pull eggs and bacon from the fridge, pausing for a moment before he grabbed a bowl and filled it with water. There was an uncertainty, nervousness to his scent as he crouched to put the bowl in front of you. Happy to have something to drink, you bent your head and lapped at the water, fully aware of him watching you. Sated for the moment, you lifted your head to stare back at him, tilting it to the side.

“Is it…” He paused, rubbed at his eyes. “Is it a wolf thing to sleep together?”

Amused, you gave him another soft sound of agreement. Tim Drake was part of your pack now, and you’d figured he’d be more comfortable with you being a wolf than waking up to a naked woman in his bed. An odd look took over his features, one you couldn’t quite place. Then he reached out and scratched behind your ear. You let out a pleased grumble, closing your eyes and leaning into the touch.

“Thanks,” he said, voice soft.

Then he stood, pulling away to return to making his breakfast. You could smell coffee as well, strong and pleasant. Drake sipped at a cup as he cooked, slowly becoming more alert. Laying down and resting your head on your paws, you watched him and enjoyed the pleasant scent of the food. You were surprised when he took down two plates, dividing the breakfast evenly and turning to look at you.

“Do you… want to eat at the table with me?” he asked cautiously.

It would be a first as a wolf. When you were a pup, you’d eaten your dinners on the floor with your brothers, your father the lone person at the table. Eating as a wolf could get messy, but you’d be careful not to get food everywhere. Standing up, you followed him to a small table and hopped up into the chair next to his. Drake set the plate down in front of you and got to work eating his own breakfast. You ate cautiously, licking the plate clean before settling back in the chair and cleaning your snout.

“Would you mind, uh, changing?” he asked, eyes on his plate. “I think we should talk.”

Huffing, you jumped off the chair. It probably was best for you to put on your human skin. Drake couldn’t understand you if you tried to speak with him as a wolf. Trotting over to your folded clothes, you sniffed at them. Not unpleasant. You took your bra and underwear before trotting into his room. Shifting, you slipped on your underclothes and dug through his closet. Pulling on sweatpants and one of his hoodies, you pulled off the bandana before heading back out.

“Hope you don’t mind me borrowing clothes,” you said.

Drake jolted at the table, glancing up at you. Something odd spiked in his scent before it evened out again. Interesting.

“No, I don’t mind.” He watched you as you sat back down. “I’m guessing that you’ll want to try to go visit your brother today.”

“Yeah.” You sighed, rubbed at the sore skin around the scabbed bite. “I think I should bring my oldest brother with me, too. Other than Hyunjin, he’s the best hunter in our family.”

“I need to stop in to work before they ask too many questions,” he said. “I’m thinking of asking a couple of my brothers for help, too. They’re good at keeping things to themselves, and if this is as big as I think it might be, it would help to have a few other people.”

To be honest, you weren’t pleased at the idea of bringing in more outsiders. You wanted to keep this within your own little circle. But Drake had more experience with this kind of thing, so you deferred to his judgement.

“Okay.” You sighed, leaning back in the chair and letting your head roll back so you could stare up at the ceiling. “Any ideas on where and what we’ll search later?”

“We’ll start at Crane’s apartment, work our way out to some of his old hideouts,” Drake said. “If my brothers agree, they can search separately from us and see what they find.”

“Just get in touch,” you said, smothering a yawn. “I’ll text Harper and have her come pick me up.”

Drake gave a small nod, let you take his plate and empty mug along with your own. There was no argument from him as you cleaned up, but you got the feeling that he appreciated whatever help he could get. Over the rush of the water you heard him move back into the bedroom, the soft rustling of clothes as he got changed. By the time you were finished cleaning, he was standing in the kitchen with a strange look in his eyes. The button up and slacks he wore flattered him, but you frowned when you saw his messy hair and darkening stubble. You walked up to him, reaching up to smooth out his shaggy hair and tucking it behind his ears. Drake watched you the whole time with that same strange look. Sighing, you grazed the back of your knuckles over the stubble on his jaw.

“You’re not going to shave?” you asked.

There was a sharp intake of breath at the touch, at your words. Odd. You watched him as he gently touched your wrist, so light you could barely feel his fingertips. He closed his eyes, tipped his head to press his cheek into your touch. Drake seemed sad, but you weren’t entirely sure why. After a silent moment, he opened his eyes again and gave you a melancholy smile.

“Don’t have time.” His voice was soft, rough with emotion.

It took effort to swallow the whine that built in your chest.

“Here’s a spare key.” Drake pulled away, turned your hand over so he could press the key into your palm. “Harper and Steph both know where I live. Lock up when you leave. I’ll be in touch.”

“Okay.” You closed your fingers around the cold metal, followed him to the front door.

Drake slipped on a pair of battered sneakers, grabbing a coat and a scarf before pausing to turn to you. That same sad look was still there, but he tried to hide it behind a smile.

“Areum?”

“Yeah?”

“Be careful.”

With that, he slipped out the door and left you to ponder why your own heart ached.

\---

When you arrived at Cheoljin’s apartment in Koreatown, changed into your own clothes and with all your belongings, you knew something was wrong the moment you smelled him cooking.

Your older brother had always been the most private in your family. His life outside of the dojang and family meetings were unknown to most of you. When Chelojin was upset, he didn’t snarl or fight or scream. He internalized it, then found different ways to channel his frustration. When you lived with him for your first year of college, you’d learned that his favorite way to vent was through cooking. He wasn’t as good as your mother, but you’d been very well fed that year.

After hanging up your coat and taking off your boots, you followed the smell into the kitchen. Your brother was making a huge batch of kimchi pancakes, wearing sweatpants, and looking like he hadn’t slept in days. Although he definitely noticed your presence, he didn’t acknowledge it.

“You heard about Hyunjin,” you said.

“I did,” he said.

Walking over, you picked up one of the pancakes, rolling it up before digging in. Cheoljin didn’t even glance at you. He just calmly placed the finished batch on the plate and poured in the last of the batter.

“I was gonna see if I could visit him.” You finished off the pancake and hopped up onto the counter next to the plate. “I think you should go, too.”

Finally looking up at you, Cheoljin gave you the frown that said he was not happy with you, but wouldn’t actually say anything. You whined, picking up another pancake to eat.

“Why do you want me to go?” he asked.

“Because you’re our older brother,” you said through a mouthful of food. “Also because he won’t listen to me and you’re, like, the only person he’s afraid of.”

“How did you get that bruise on your face?” he asked.

You froze midchew. “What?”

“The bruise.” He pointed with the spatula. “How?”

Lying was not an option. Cheoljin could sniff out a lie from miles away. It had made getting away with things very hard as a teenager. Finishing up the food, you let out a heavy sigh.

“Hyunjin hit me.”

Your brother stared at you for a moment, clearly trying to figure out if you were telling the truth. Once he was satisfied, he frowned.

“Why would he hit you?” he asked.

“Got dosed with a modified version of Scarecrow’s fear toxin.” You held up your hands when he gave you an odd look. “Honestly. It’s… a long story. I just want to make sure he’s okay in there.”

Heaving a sigh that you knew meant you had a lot of explaining to do later, Cheoljin handed you several food containers.

“Put these away. Once I get changed, we can go to the local precinct and see about visiting him.”

Hopping off the counter, you obeyed immediately.

If you were both lucky, maybe you would be able to get more information out of Hyunjin and put the whole thing to rest.

\---

Of course, luck was never on your side.

The precinct in Chinatown informed you that Hyunjin had been moved and it took several minutes of threatening and negotiating to get them to tell you that he was at the Gotham Central hospital. Once you’d taken the subway to the hospital (very aware of how Cheoljin’s temper was fraying quickly), the officer there refused to let you see him. At the end of your own rope, you leaned closer and growled at the man.

“This is my brother. As far as I am aware, he has not been allowed to contact any family members or an attorney. I don’t care what the fuck you’re holding him on. You’ll let us see him or the next time you see me I’ll shove the law so far up your ass you’ll be coughing up textbooks for a month,” you snarled.

Whether it was the threat of having a horde of lawyers descend or both you and your brother about five seconds away from snapping someone’s neck, you were finally allowed access. Cheoljin towering behind you, the officer led you down sterile hallways to a far corner of the ICU. Two other officers were posted at the door, the nurse who passed you glancing at them fearfully before hurrying past to another room.

“Family members,” the first officer told them.

Glaring at them both, you shoved open the door and heard Cheoljin give a short growl as he followed you in.

“Keep the door open—” one of them started.

Cheoljin slammed it shut.

Hyunjin was still unconscious, although whether it was because of drugs or simply his body trying to heal faster, you weren’t entirely sure. He was hooked up to an IV, covered in bandages. Dark, brutal bruises covered one side of his face, disappeared under the gauze covering his chest. You whined, reached out to brush your fingers over his swollen eye. Even though he was asleep, straps bound his ankles and wrists to the bed. A low growl continued to rumble in Cheoljin’s chest and you could hear him pacing behind you.

“Who did this to him?” he growled.

“Still trying to figure out the root cause.” You brushed a lock of hair from your twin’s face. “But the people who hurt him are all dead now.”

Both of you fell silent, the only sound in the room the steady click of the IV as it pumped him with medications and the soft beeping of the monitoring equipment he was hooked up to. Cheoljin continued pacing. You watched the slow, steady rise and fall of your twin’s chest as he took shallow breaths. Then your older brother stopped suddenly, heading whipping around to the door.

“The officers left,” he said.

“What?”

You turned to face the door as well, hair on the back of your neck rising. There was a new scent now, one that you’d become familiar with. It wasn’t quite human, but whatever else was present, you didn’t recognize. You backed towards your older brother, fighting to keep yourself from shifting. The door opened and you let out a snarl when you saw the man who entered the room.

“Didn’t think the little guy would have any visitors,” Shin Youngho said with a vicious grin.

Shin was the head of the Dragon’s Claw, had been for several years. When Hyunjin joined, he was the one who recruited him, took him under his wing. While Shin rose up the ranks, he took your twin with him, unafraid to lie, cheat, steal, and kill to make his way to the top. Shin was only a few years older than Hyunjin, well dressed and well groomed. One upon a time, you’d found the cold-blooded killer attractive.

“What are you doing here?” you growled.

“Visiting my little brother, of course.” Shin only smiled wider when Cheoljin’s growl got louder. “I was hoping he’d be awake so I could ask why he decided to start a fucking war.”

“You know he didn’t do it.” You stepped forward, ignored your older brother’s hand clutching at your elbow. “We both know that.”

“What I know is that the triads and the cops both think he did.” Shin shrugged, walked closer until he was towering over you. “And that a few of my buddies just released him back into my custody.”

Cheoljin shoved you behind him, glared down the man in front of him. You briefly considered shoving past your brother, but you could feel claws growing, his hand beginning to shift. Fury had overtaken his normal scent.

“He is not your family,” he snarled. The quiet demeanor he usually kept up had disappeared, the Wolf instinct rising to the surface.

“He’s more my family than yours.” Shin did not look impressed by the growling. “When you kicked him out, I was the one who took him in. The one who gave him a home.”

You felt Cheoljin tense and put a hand on his shoulder. It took a moment, but he stood down. The words hurt, were meant to wound, but they weren’t entirely untrue. You stepped out from behind your brother.

“Why should we trust you with him?” you asked.

“Because you’ve trusted me with him for six years now,” Shin said with a shrug. “And because the alternative to me keeping him alive and protected is the cops doing that by keeping him behind bars for the rest of his life.”

“If something happens to him, I’ll kill you.” You glared up at him, let a little Wolf slip through.

Shin let his fingers skim over your chin, ignored the warning growl from your brother. You stiffened, but didn’t pull away.

“That a promise?” he asked, voice low.

You jerked your chin away from him, backed up to be closer to Cheoljin. Shin only smiled, the expression never reaching his eyes. Your older brother wrapped an arm around you, pulled you close against him with a possessive growl. The other man only looked amused.

“We’ll keep in touch with you, little sister.” Shin nodded to Hyunjin, took off his gloves and coat. “We’ve got no issues with you. When he wakes up, we’ll let you know.” He glanced at your brother. “Just you.”

“I’ll show up alone when you call.” A lie, of course. But you figured having someone looking in from the outside didn’t count.

“Good girl.” Shin gave you both a mocking smile, then pointed to the door. “Now, I suggest you both get out of here before my men show up.”

While Cheoljin was angry, he wasn’t stupid. Throwing a quick glance at you, he gave you a small nod. Shoving your hands in your pockets, you let your older brother leave first before turning to look at Shin. He was still watching you, the look of a predator in his eyes. For six years, you’d been trying to figure out what he was. For six years, you’d failed to do so. Hyunjin wouldn’t tell you, and you knew Shin would go to his grave with that secret.

“You need a little company again,” he said, voice low, “I’m just a call away.”

All too aware of your brother’s sensitive ears, you glared at Shin.

“Never again.” You pushed the door open, smelled the men who were just down the hall. “See you later.”

With that, you jogged to catch up with your brother, ducked your head as members of the Dragon’s Claw passed by. When Cheoljin parted ways with you without mentioning what he’d heard, you made a note to yourself to thank him for the kindness later.

\---

“How’s your brother doing?” Stephanie asked.

“Which one?”

You looked up from the dinner you were cooking. Harper had gone home for the night to spend time with her brother, and to give the two of you some time to catch back up with each other. Stephanie called it a girls’ night, but you were pretty sure it would have been one if her girlfriend was there, too. But you hadn’t argued, glad to have some time alone with her. When you’d offered to cook dinner, she’d demanded spaghetti and meatballs. You were happy to oblige, considering it was simple enough.

Stephanie gave you an unamused look.

“Hyunjin,” she said. “When I called your mom, she said he was in the hospital.”

“He got in a pretty bad fight.” Not a lie. But it still made you feel guilty. You just didn’t want to drag Stephanie into the whole mess. “When Cheol and I went to see him, he was still asleep. But he should be okay. He’s got people looking out for him.”

“You mean his boss.” Steph hopped up to sit on the counter near you, smirking at you. “That must have been awkward.”

“Can we not talk about that?” you sighed. You set down the last meatball you’d shaped in the pan, shoved it into the oven. “It was a mistake I made one time.”

“Okay, definitely awkward, then.” She laughed when you shot her a glare. “Sorry, sorry. For real though, is your family doing okay?”

“Not really.” You sighed, moved to pull out the spaghetti and cans of tomato sauce. “We’ve been not okay for a while, though. This is all just kind of making it even worse much faster.”

“Is your mom…?” Steph trailed off, curling and uncurling her toes.

“Honestly?” You opened the tomato cans, dumped them in a saucepan and held out your hand. Steph handed you the herbs you needed one at a time. “I don’t know. Dad’s temper has gotten worse over the years, but she never would have told us if this had happened before, anyways.”

“No offense, but your dad’s a massive dick,” she said.

“I know.” You put a lid over the sauce, glancing up at her. “But Mom would never leave him. So, we’ll just have to keep a close eye on them.”

What you didn’t tell Stephanie was that your mother was, at her core, the wildest and most likely to kill out of all of your family. She liked to pretend that she had been tamed, but the first time you’d seen your dad get physical with her as a teenager, you’d seen the look in her eyes. If it happened again, you couldn’t guarantee that she wouldn’t snap and kill him then and there.

“If she needs a place to stay, she’s always welcome here,” Steph said.

“That’s just because you like her cooking more than mine,” you teased, glad to see a smile light up her face again.

“Nooo!” Stephanie threw her arms around you, burying her face in your hair. “You know that your spaghetti and meatballs are my favorite.”

“That’s only because you won’t eat them anymore unless I cook them,” you laughed.

“Mm, it’s so good to hear you laugh.” She nuzzled further into you, squeezed you tight as you both giggled. “I’ve missed having you all to myself.”

“Oh, don’t let Harper hear that or she’ll get jealous.” You enjoyed the embrace, her comforting scent washing over you.

“She can deal with it.” Stephanie finally let you go, planting a sloppy kiss on the top of your head. “If anything, she’d get jealous of me, not you.”

You rolled your eyes, filling a pot with water to boil and leaning against the counter next to her while you both waited. Steph rested her head on your shoulder with a happy sigh.

“So… you and Tim, huh?” she said, a little too smugly.

Swallowing your anger, you reminded yourself that the only reason everyone was being so annoying about Drake was because they wanted you to be happy.

“It wasn’t like that.” You rested your head on top of hers. “He clearly hadn’t slept in days and I just wanted to make sure he got some rest.”

“So, what, you just slept on the couch?” she asked.

“Yeah.” At least part of the night. If you admitted to crawling into his bed, she would very much get the wrong idea. All humans were frustrating that way. “I like Drake, just not like that.”

“No offense?” She pulled back to look you in the eye, tucking your hair behind your ear. “I don’t think you’ve ever liked anyone like that. Not romantically, at least not while we’ve known each other. Trust me, I’m very aware of the people you’ve brought home with you. But… Tim’s a nice guy. Give him a chance.”

“Hm.” Frowning, you thought about it. Drake was objectively a good looking human. Both your family and your human pack seemed to like him. “Let me think about it.”

“If nothing else, at least just be friends with him.” Stephanie took your face in her hands, brushed a thumb over the bruise on your cheek. “He deserves to have someone like you in his life.”

“Someone like me?”

“Yeah.” She smiled. “Someone with a good brain and a better heart.”

“Now you’re flirting with me.” You grinned, stepping out of her touch and dumping the spaghetti into the boiling water. “Can’t blame it on alcohol this time.”

“What kind of best friend would I be if I didn’t hit on you?” she laughed.

Turning your attention back to the dinner, you pondered what to do with the advice you had been given. Perhaps you would approach Drake a little differently when you met him later that evening.

\---

Much to your surprise, Tim Drake was alone when you met him at the address he’d provided after midnight. Not only that, he wasn’t wearing his costume. You’d expected the brothers he’d asked for help to be there. Pulling your hood down, you held a hand up when he greeted you.

“Just us?” you asked.

“My brothers are checking out some other locations,” he said. “Just us.”

Stopping in front of him, you looked him over. Drake wore all black, a mask hanging around his neck and hood pushed back. You’d worn all black on his instruction as well. Moving your gaze back up to his face, you grinned when you saw not only the flush on his skin, but all trace of stubble gone.

“You shaved,” you said.

Drake cleared his throat, hand instinctively coming up to touch his jaw.

“Uh, yeah.” Pointedly keeping his gaze not on you, he jerked his head towards the apartment building behind him. “Crane’s apartment is up on the thirteenth floor. I figure I’d go up the side, scope it, let you follow me up.”

The way his scent was fluctuating was interesting. But you knew that time was of the essence, so you would have to play around with him later. This neighborhood was too dense, senses overwhelmed for the moment. Maybe when you got closer, you would know if your little brother was there. Or if he had been there at some point.

“Okay.” You glanced up at the building, pulled your hood back up.

Drake did the same, pulling his mask up to cover the lower half of his face as well. Both of you headed towards the building and he pulled out his grappling gun. After a moment to aim, he was climbing the side of the building. With nothing better to do, you leaned against the wall and pulled out your phone, waiting for the all clear. You’d expected a text. Instead, he slid back down and held out a hand to you.

“Couldn’t see any movement. Ready to head up?” he asked.

“Of course.” You gave him an odd look. “Do you… want a high five? I will just follow you up.”

“… Right.” He hesitated before pulling his hand back. Another odd fluctuation. “I’ll just… go ahead then.”

Still frowning, you waited for him to get a good distance up before you tested the line and made your way up as well. Although you knew it was going to be a long way up, you weren’t prepared for your arms and thighs to burn as bad as they did by the time you climbed in through the window. Your wrist ached, and when you glanced at it, you saw red slowly blooming on the bandages. Cursing under your breath, you pulled your sleeve back down and decided to worry about it later.

Drake was waiting for you, brow furrowing as you caught your breath.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Good… I’m good.” You straightened, let your eyes adjust to the darkness.

The place was a disaster. The furniture was rotting, old beyond its years. The first smell that hit you was the dust. Carefully picking your way through broken glass, you scented the air. Mostly rot and decay, a few traces of the chemicals that Hyunjin had been dosed with. You continued into a hallway, dimly hearing Drake’s footsteps behind you. Then you picked up something else. Familiar.

“He’s here.” You stopped, nostrils flaring again. “He’s here.”

Before Drake could ask who or stop you, you were sprinting down the hall and slamming into a door. It splintered, broke open for you as you stumbled inside. Blood soaked into the flooring, most of it old but some of it new. The rot was stronger there, brought tears to your eyes. A low growl caught your attention and you let your eyes zero in on the source of the sound.

Jintae was curled in on himself in a corner of the room, skin smeared with blood and eyes glowing. Heavy chains bound his wrists and ankles, hair hanging in his face. Pushing back your hood, you slowly approached him.

“Jintae? Jintae, it’s me. It’s okay.” You kept your voice low. For all you knew, he could be dosed. That chemical smell was still lingering, although you couldn’t quite tell if it was coming from him. “It’s okay now.”

“… _Noona_?” His voice broke, fingers curling and eyes widening.

“Yeah.” You took his face in your hands, pushed his hair out of his eyes and pressed your forehead to his. “You’re safe now.”

Drake entered the room after you, inhaled sharply. You ignored him, unwound the chains from your brother and bundled him into your arms. Although he was bigger than you, in that moment, it felt like he was a baby again, scared and crawling into your bed for comfort. A growl rose in his chest again when he saw Drake, but you shushed him.

“This is my friend, Tim Drake.” You let him tuck his face in your neck, scratched at his scalp to soothe him. “He helped me find you. He’s not gonna hurt you. He’s part of my pack.”

“Holy shit,” Drake said. “Areum, this room…”

“I know.” You looked up at him. Death hung heavy in the room, and you were smart enough to put together all the blood on his skin with all the blood on the floors. “Help me get him out of here.”

“Right.” Drake came over, hesitated for a moment before he crouched down next to you. “Jintae, right? If you put an arm around my shoulders, I’m gonna help get you and your sister out of here.”

Jintae hesitated, glanced up at you. When you gave him a small nod, he pulled away and let Drake help him to his feet. Your little brother was taller than the both of you, but with his weight distributed, you managed to help him get to the window without an issue. Once you’d gotten him situated on Drake’s back, you watched them both start heading down before you hesitated.

Later, you’d come back to this place and burn it to the ground.

\---

After a short negotiation, you’d managed to convince Jintae to let you take him back to Drake’s hideout. There was a shower there, as it turned out, and Drake managed to find clothes that would fit your little brother. However, he’d refused them, instead shifting into his wolf form and resting his head in your lap. Drake had wanted to get some information out of him, but after you’d glared at him, had decided that maybe letting him have some time would be best. It hadn’t taken long for Jintae to fall asleep, your fingers still combing through his tawny fur.

“He can spend the night here,” Drake said, voice soft. “Let him get some rest. He deserves it.”

“They made him kill people.” You continued to gently stroke his fur, felt a growl rise in your throat. “Doped him up like some caged dog.”

“We’ll find the people who did this.”

“I’m reconsidering my position on not killing humans,” you growled, looking up at Drake.

He watched you for a moment, his mask and coat removed, fingers laced together. There was a sadness to his face as he watched you. It almost soothed your nerves.

Almost.

“My dad was murdered a few years ago,” he said. You blinked, surprised. “It’s just me and my mom now, but she still lives in the old house. When he was murdered, I was furious. I’d been doing Robin stuff for years already, knew that there was supposed to be a right way of doing things. But I lost myself. Tracked the guy down and was seconds away from killing him. But then I remembered something. If you kill the people who do this shit? You give them an easy way out. If you make them live, make them actually face punishment, it’s worse. Especially if you know people who can make things a little harder for them in Arkham.”

“What happened to your father’s murderer?” you asked.

“Been in isolation since he was caught. No cell mate, no contact.” His face hardened, hands curling into fists. “Rotting away.”

“Human law truly is fascinating.” You sighed, scratched a spot behind your brother’s ear that made his tail thump happily against the cot. “My mother told me that Wolves sometimes make the Hunt longer on purpose, so that what they’re hunting knows they’re after them, but can do nothing about it. Then they kill them slowly, if the crime is terrible. Make it last, make it painful. But perhaps an unending Hunt would be worth a try.”

“When we find them…” He paused for a moment. “When we find them, I’ll let you decide the punishment. And if I have to look the other way, I will.”

Something odd happened, then. A warm feeling in your chest, one you hadn’t felt before. As you looked at Tim Drake, took in the anger he felt on behalf of your family, you wondered what was happening to you. Maybe you were getting sick. Your heart did seem to be beating a little faster. But you also thought of the way Stephanie and Harper looked at each other, the way Steph had talked about her before they dated. You wondered if perhaps you had become a little too human, after all.

“Thank you.” You smiled, dropped your gaze to your brother as you felt an odd flush to your skin. “For everything.”

“I’m just glad I was able to help.” He stood up, grunted as he stretched. “Do you want a ride home?”

“No.” You glanced up at him finally. “I don’t want to leave him alone. Is it okay if I sleep here, too?”

“Of course,” he said. “You… want me to stay, too?”

You shrugged, although something in you was saying that yes, actually, you very much did want him to stay. Something must have given it away, because he was giving you that shy smile again.

“I’ll pull out the sleeping bag, then.”

“Why?” You tilted your head, confused.

“Uh, I don’t… what?” His confusion matched yours.

“I’m going to shift, and packs find comfort in sleeping together.” You motioned to your brother. “You’re a part of my pack now, Drake, so he won’t mind. Is that weird to humans?”

“… A little?” He sighed. “But that bag does hurt my back.”

Before you could talk yourself out of it, you jumped up, rushing over and kissing his cheek. Drake froze as you pulled away, eyes wide and face going red. You could hear the rapid beat of his heart, smell the change in his scent. As he recovered, you ducked into the bathroom, leaving the door open. Once you’d stripped down, you shifted and trotted your way back out. Drake had changed while you were shifting, laid down with Jintae moved down to the foot of the bed. He looked over when you approached, cheeks flushing again.

You let out an amused huff, jumped up onto the cot and laid down against his side. Your head rested near Jintae’s, the affection already putting you at ease. Your brother was safe. He was safe, and you would make sure no one would take him again. Drake let his fingers tangle in your fur, his own breathing evening out as he drifted off to sleep. You closed your eyes, tail thumping against his hip.

Perhaps, in the ashes of what had been, you would build something new.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wrote this one while watching killing eve and holy SHIT y'all gotta watch that show. hopin' to really up the stakes in the next chapter.
> 
> i love you all, thank you for reading!!


	7. Deja Vu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> chapter warnings: domestic violence, mild violence
> 
> _so now, i'm holding this pain..._

After you’d killed Sebastian, your family slowly began to fall apart. Your father wouldn’t even look at you. Your mother fought with him every night, the look in her eyes getting darker and darker. Jintae crawled into bed with you every night, whimpered and cried until you soothed him to sleep. Cheoljin and Jinwoo both seemed more and more exhausted with each passing day. But, most worrying of all, Hyunjin had started sneaking out at night. You buried yourself in your schoolwork, tried to pretend that none of it was happening in the vain hope that it would all just go away.

Then your father hit your mother.

Both of your older brothers had already gone home for the night. You couldn’t remember how the argument started. But the crack of his hand across her face was deafening. Time seemed to stop in the aftermath, silence hanging over the entire flat. Then Hyunjin had thrown himself across the room at your father with an angry snarl. Your mother screamed at him to stop.

Your twin’s fist connected with your father’s jaw, sending him crashing to the ground. Hyunjin stood over him, breathing heavily. His eyes burned gold as your mother stared in horror. Blood trickled from your father’s mouth, shock written on his features before it was replaced with cold, hard anger. Then they were both exchanging blows, blood dripping to the floor as they shoved each other into walls, tables, chairs.

“Stop!” You tried to pull your father away from Hyunjin, put yourself between him and your mother.

When his elbow connected with your nose, your vision went red for a split second. Then blood was gushing from it, pain radiating from your face as you stumbled backwards. Hyunjin roared in rage, got his hands around your father’s throat and slammed him back against the wall.

“You piece of shit,” Hyunjin growled. “You enjoy hurting people who won’t fight back?”

“Jinnie, stop,” you gasped, blood trickling out from between your fingers.

“How does this feel, huh?” His grip tightened around your father’s throat, teeth elongating. “Not so high and mighty now.”

Jintae had run out, shifted and curled himself around your mother with a low, rumbling growl. She still seemed shocked, hand pressed to her cheek and eyes wide and glazed. Wiping at the blood still gushing from your nose with your shirt, you placed a hand on Hyunjin’s shoulder to try to calm him down.

“It’s not worth it,” you murmured. “Jinnie, it’s not worth it. Put him down.”

After a tense moment, your twin finally let go, stepping back. The gush of blood had slowed to a drip, but you knew your shirt was ruined. Your father gasped for air, and for the first time, you saw real fear in his eyes as he stared up at your twin.

“Get out,” your father grunted.

“What?” you asked.

“Get out!” he roared, shoving Hyunjin hard.

Your twin stumbled back into you, both of you almost losing your balance and falling to the floor. Hyunjin looked shocked, eyes wide as he stared at your father.

“Dad—” you started.

“Get the fuck out of my house,” he snarled. “You aren’t welcome here anymore.”

“Wait,” your mother said, voice weak. “Honey, you can’t just—”

“This is my home!” he yelled, wild eyes turning on her. When she flinched, you had to hold onto Hyunjin’s arm tightly to keep him from lunging again. “Your son just threatened my life. How long until he does the same to you, or to our other children?”

“He’s your son too!” you argued, still holding onto your twin tightly. “You can’t just—”

“It’s fine.” Hyunjin’s voice had gone cold.

You stared up at him, confused. He slipped out of your hold, stormed down the hall to the room he shared with Jintae. Within a few minutes, he had packed his duffel bag and was making his way to the door. All of you were silent, not sure how to process what was happening. Before you could call out to him, Hyunjin had slammed the door behind him. You went to open the door, to follow behind him, but your father’s voice stopped you.

“If you go out after him,” he said, voice low, “you won’t be welcome back here, either.”

“Honey,” your mother said, “you really can’t—”

“I can.” He lowered his voice, glaring at you. “And I will.”

You were torn. On one hand, this was your twin. Your closest sibling, the one who had gone through the trials of trying to be human with you. Hyunjin was your other half, difficult and angry but still there for you when you needed him most. On the other hand, you couldn’t afford to get kicked out. You were already looking at going to GSU, relied on your parents for the scholarships you would need to go there. If your father disowned you, you couldn’t apply for financial aid.

It was the worst decision you ever made, one that would haunt you for years. But you closed the door and obediently sat down on the floor next to your mother.

Your father didn’t say anything else. He didn’t even look at you. He slammed the door of the bedroom behind him. Whining, you pulled off your clothes and shifted, joining Jintae in curling around your mother. The three of you fell asleep like that, your mother’s hands tightly clutching your fur.

When you woke the next morning, licking the tear stains from your mother’s face, you knew that nothing would ever be the same again.

\---

The sound of your cell phone ringing woke you. It wasn’t even dawn yet, but you were up immediately, shifting halfway to the bathroom as you scrambled to find the device. When you did, you didn’t even glance at the caller ID. You knew who was calling.

“Hello?” you said, breathless.

“Little brother just woke up,” Shin’s deep voice said. The amusement in his tone had you bristling.

“Is he okay?” you asked in a rush.

“He’s fine.” Shin sighed. “Your name is on the visiting list.”

Before you could say anything else, he hung up. You were left staring at your phone, crouched naked in the bathroom and feeling more than a little foolish. You could hear Jintae and Drake starting to wake up, so you quickly pulled your clothes back on. Although it might have been fun to see how the human reacted, you didn’t have time to play around. By the time your little brother pushed open the door with his head, you were zipping up your coat and shoving your phone in your back pocket. Drake wasn’t far behind, looking bleary and confused as you pushed past him.

“Wha’s happened?” he slurred, rubbing at his eyes. “You okay?”

“I have to go.” You pulled your boots on, gently pushing your brother’s head away when he tried to lick at your face. “I don’t know how long I’ll be gone, but I need you to look after Jintae.”

“Whoa.” He blinked, suddenly much more awake than he had been before. “Wait, wait. What? Areum, what’s going on?”

“I have to take care of something, and it has to be alone.” You looked up at him, swallowing the guilt that rose when you saw the distress on his face. You were leaving him alone with a non-human teenager he didn’t know, and couldn’t even tell him what it was you were doing. “When I get back, I’ll tell you. But I need to go now.”

Jintae whined, put his front paws up on your lap and let out a mournful sound. After everything he’d been through, you couldn’t blame him. The position you were leaving him in was even worse: alone with a stranger after going through violent trauma, even if you had claimed that stranger as part of your pack. You cupped his furry face in your hands, nuzzled into his cheek. He whined again, pressing harder against you until you almost fell over.

“Tae, you have to behave,” you told him, pushing him away and standing back up. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. Tim is going to keep you safe. You can trust him.”

Big words delivered casually. You didn’t trust outsiders, didn’t let them in so easily. The fact that you had even let Drake know about the family was something not to be taken lightly. Jintae was smart. You knew that he knew this. But fear was a potent thing, made reality seem closer to fiction. You could see it in his eyes, the way his tail was still tucked between his legs.

“I noticed that he had a GameBoy in his backpack,” Drake said.

“Yeah, it was Cheol’s,” you told him. “Hyunjin used it for like, a year before he gave it to Tae. He’s been obsessively playing it for years.”

“Well,” he said, smiling down at your brother, “I’ve got an emulator on my computer, if you wanna play anything.”

That got Jintae’s attention. His ears perked up and his tail gave a little wag before he looked over at you. You grinned.

“Put some pants on first. I’ll text you when I’m on my way back.”

Your little brother was already bounding over to the bathroom, sweatpants in his mouth. Once the door was closed, you stepped closer to Drake.

“Thanks. For everything.”

“No worries.” He shrugged. “Just be careful, yeah?”

“I will.” You started to head for the ladder, but paused.

Before you could talk yourself out of it, you rushed back to him, taking his face in your hands and dusting a kiss against his jaw. Drake froze, skin heating against your palms for the moment you lingered. Then you scrambled up the ladder, pleased at the reaction you’d gotten. Once you were done with your twin, you’d see just how far your teasing could go.

\---

Hyunjin tried to climb out of his hospital bed when you came through the door, and Shin had to hold him down to keep him in place. A whine escaped from him until you sat on the edge of his bed and took his hand in yours.

“Never would’ve taken him to be such a big baby,” Shin grumbled, taking several steps back. “Been whining to see you since he woke up.”

“He’s probably just loopy from the painkillers,” you lied. While that was probably at least a factor in his behavior, you knew that the bigger reason was that Hyunjin simply _was_ a big baby when it came to you. “Can you give me a few minutes alone with him?”

Shin stared at you, face impassive. Then he shrugged.

“Why not.” He sighed, turning his cold gaze back to your twin. “Five minutes. That’s all.”

Hyunjin opened his mouth and you just knew that he was going to complain. So you gave his hand a squeeze and spoke over him.

“That’s plenty,” you said. “Thank you, Shin.”

The man grunted before leaving the room, closing the door a bit harder than was necessary and making you flinch.

“You do remember that your boss is a fucking gangster, right?” you snarled, although the malice was half-hearted.

“I just wanted to make sure you were okay,” Hyunjin whined. “Everything…it’s fuzzy. But I remember that I hurt you.”

“I’ve had worse,” you said, waving off his concern. “The bruise will go away in a day or so, and the bite’s not that bad.”

Hyunjin still looked like a kicked puppy. But when you gave his hand another squeeze, he stopped whining. When he was like this, it was hard to remember that he killed and maimed people for a living. You decided to change the direction of the conversation. There was no time to sit and talk about your feelings; that would have to wait for another time.

“I found Jintae,” you said.

“What?” Hyunjin struggled to sit up, eyes wide. “Is he okay?”

“He’s not hurt bad,” you answered. “But I’m pretty sure that they were dosing him with whatever you got hit with and forcing him to… yeah. He’s been a Wolf since I got him out of there.”

“Is he back with the family?” Frowning, Hyunjin sat back against the headboard. “Someone could come get him again, maybe Mom and Cheol, too—”

“He’s in a safe place,” you interrupted. “Away from the family. I haven’t called Mom to tell her about him, yet. But Jinnie…” You hesitated. “Is there anything you can tell me about what happened?”

For a good portion of your life, your twin had been fearless. If there was anything that scared him, he simply plowed forward, too stubborn and proud to admit it. But there was a real fear in his eyes, in the hesitance he showed for a moment. Whatever happened had shaken him, and it made your blood run cold.

“There’s… there’s a lot of gaps in my memory,” he admitted. “I remember smelling you, and that Drake kid. I was… so angry. And scared. Like… more angry and scared than I’ve ever been in my life. Thought I was killing monsters. Ones that wanted to come after the rest of you guys. But I do remember… there was this girl. She was wearing some kind of traditional mask. Pretty sure she was the one who hit me with the shit that made me go crazy.”

You couldn’t remember seeing a woman’s body down in the basement. Tucking away that piece of information to tell Drake later, you did your best to smile at your brother.

“Thanks. Is there anything else you remember?” you asked.

“No.” He sighed, rubbing at his face. “Just… just how I felt, that’s it. Anger, fear. Did I… did I really kill King Snake?”

“Honestly?” You shook your head. “I don’t think you did. He wasn’t… messy like the others. Doesn’t make sense that you’d have some kind of clarity in the middle of all that chaos.”

“Boss thinks I might have,” he admitted, voice soft. “He won’t give me up, but he’s pissed.”

“He won’t do anything,” you assured him. “You’re too valuable.”

“For now.” Hyunjin gripped your hand a bit tighter, looked you in the eye. “Promise me you won’t do anything for him.”

Now it was your turn to hesitate. If Shin demanded something from you for Hyunjin’s guaranteed safety, you wouldn’t hesitate to give it to him. No matter what it was.

“I promise,” you lied. The relief on his face made your heart hurt, but you wouldn’t let it show. “Keep in touch, okay?”

“I’ll try.” It was the best he could give you, but it still left a bitter taste in your mouth. You could tell he wasn’t happy about it, either. “Don’t… put yourself in danger, okay? Just keep yourself and Tae safe.”

“I’ll try.” Your smile was bitter, jagged. It was difficult to pull your hand from his, but you knew your time had run out. “Love you, asshole.”

“Love you, too, bitch,” he said, answering smile fragile.

With one last glance back at your twin, you left the room, door clicking shut behind you with a haunting finality. Shin was waiting for you outside, leaning against the wall, sleeves rolled up and revealing the intricate tattoos on his arms. His gaze was hard, unreadable.

“What?” you bit out, making no effort to hide your anger with him.

“Just wondering if you’re as stupid as your brother is,” he said.

You bristled, hands curling into fists. What little patience you’d reserved for him was already gone.

“I’m not one of your men,” you snarled. “You don’t get to talk about me or my family like that.”

“Your idiot twin just started a gang war,” he reminded you. “So if I want to talk about your fucking family like that, I will. It’s going to take months to clean up the mess that he made.”

“You’re pretty conveniently forgetting the part where someone drugged him.” You folded your arms over your chest. “Maybe your time would be better spent finding out who did it and taking care of that. Not shooting yourself in the foot. Again.”

“Oh, are you an expert on how the criminal underground works now?” Shin stepped closer, towering over you. If he wanted you to cower, he was going to be sorely disappointed. “There’s going to be payment from your family for this, one way or another.”

“Don’t threaten me,” you growled up at him. “And don’t threaten them, either. If you want something, just spit it out.”

“Not sure what it is I want yet.” His gaze flicked to your lips and you felt your stomach sink. “But if you want to volunteer for it…”

“Just keep Hyunjin out of it.” You stepped closer to snarl in his face. “Your problem is with me, now. So when you man up enough to decide what childish punishment you want to settle on, you tell me. Until then, I have shit I need to take care of.”

A wicked smile curved his lips. You stepped around him, anger simmering as you left the hospital right back where you’d been before.

\---

Drake was waiting outside the building for you when you got there, leaned against the side and frowning at his phone. There was an odd feeling in your chest at the sight of him that you shoved aside. Instead, you stopped in front of him, shoving your hands in your pockets and waiting for him to notice you. When you cleared your throat, he jumped, panicked gaze flicking to you.

“Shit,” he breathed, shoving his phone in his back pocket. “Sorry, didn’t see you.”

“I noticed,” you said, amused. Maybe playing a little would improve your mood. “Get tired of the pup?”

“Nah,” he said. “Just… uh.”

You noticed the flush that rose to his cheeks, the way his gaze flicked away from you.

“Just what?” you urged, fighting not to grin.

“Just… got a little worried, I guess,” he muttered, barely audible. “You rushed out of here without any explanation and I just…” He shrugged.

“Cute,” you hummed. When he shrank in on himself and pulled his hood up to hide his face, you laughed. “You didn’t have to wait outside, though. I know how to get in.”

“I know,” he mumbled. “Sorry, this is… stupid, I guess.”

“Mm, not really.” You bent down to try to peek at his face, grinning. “Why are you so embarrassed, Drake?”

“Ugh, you’re impossible,” he muttered. When you finally met his gaze, it was strangely conflicted. “Where were you?”

“I went to visit Hyunjin in the hospital,” you told him, foul mood returning. “His boss made it clear yesterday that I was the only one allowed to see him, and it had to be alone.”

“His boss… Shin Youngho?” Drake frowned, crossed his arms over his chest. “Was he there?”

“Yep.” You leaned heavy into the last consonant, scowled down at the concrete. “He pulled some strings to make the cops release Hyunjin, but that just means I’ll have to deal with him as long as he’s in the hospital.”

“You okay?” he asked.

“No,” you admitted. “Honestly, I’m fucking pissed. Hyunjin is my family, but because of… things that happened, Shin has more of a claim to him than we do. Can’t stand the asshole, but I can’t just leave Hyunjin alone.”

“Why you, though?”

You winced. That was not something you really wanted to talk about. The time you’d spent bedding Shin was not something you were proud of. Yes, you’d been young, stupid, easy to trick. But that didn’t stop the shame bubbling in your chest. One time was a mistake, but you’d gone back several times. Not even Stephanie knew that it had been a repeat thing.

“I…” You hesitated. For some reason, one you couldn’t quite place your finger on, it was harder to admit the whole sordid affair to Drake. “We have history.”

“Oh,” he said. “Do you… are you…?”

“No,” you said, voice hard. “I was… it was when I was nineteen. Stupid, naïve. But he makes sure I don’t forget about it.”

The relief on his face confused you. You frowned at him.

“We all do stupid things,” he said. “Doesn’t mean we have to keep punishing ourselves for them. Did Hyunjin tell you anything?”

The sudden shift still had you reeling. You’d just admitted to sleeping with a vicious criminal and he’d just… shrugged it off. For something you had trouble keeping in the past, he had just let it roll off and away. You had to take a moment to re-center yourself.

“I… yeah.” Shifting your weight from one foot to the other, you stared down at your feet. “He doesn’t remember much. Mostly just how he felt. Anger, fear. But he did say that he remembered a girl being there who wore a traditional mask.”

Drake made a thoughtful sound, but you didn’t look up at him. You couldn’t. Scuffing your toe against the sidewalk, you continued.

“I don’t remember there being a girl in the bodies,” you said. “So she may have fled after she dosed him.”

“I can’t remember seeing a girl, either.” Drake sighed. “Could have been a power grab. Maybe she agreed to team up with Crane, had some insider info on your brother.”

“She had to have known that he was a Wolf,” you pointed out. “Otherwise there was no reason to use that modified version instead of the normal fear toxin. So, she has to be tied to the people who took Tae.”

“Could be that they planted information for him to find and lured him there,” he said. “Kept Jintae there just long enough for the place to smell like him so he wouldn’t know it was a trap until it was too late.”

“Maybe she took King Snake by surprise. Took advantage of the chaos.”

“I can see what I can find about a member of the Ghost Dragons matching her description.” Drake paused. “If the triads are working with Crane, then—”

“I don’t want to think about it,” you muttered. “Because that means he could reach out to Shin, too.”

“It’s possible.”

“Fuck.” You rubbed at your face, tried to latch back onto the playfulness you had felt just moments earlier. But it was gone, replaced with a terrible sense of dread. If the triads had a weapon, other groups in Gotham would want it, too. Which put your whole family in danger. If they knew Hyunjin and Jintae were Wolves, it didn’t take much to figure out that the rest of you were, too. What if they moved past kids scooped up off the street and started snatching adults? What happened when all of you were dragged out into the light, revealed to be predators hidden in plain sight? “Did your brothers find anything?”

You knew what he was going to say just from his heavy sigh.

“Nothing.” Drake shifted next to you, making you tense. “No idea where the other kids are at. The places they hit were all abandoned, totally clean.”

“… Is it possible they let us find Tae?” you asked.

Both of you remained silent, mulling over that terrible possibility. What would that mean? Why would they give him back to you? Maybe they were hoping you would just drop it, glad to have all of your pack back. Wolves in the wild might have, let the storm hit others while they kept safe and out of danger. But you weren’t wild. You had been made dangerous by this city, a mad dog with a taste for blood.

“That’s a possibility,” Drake said. “But that brings up the question of why they would do that.”

“Doesn’t matter.” You finally looked up at him, eyes flashing in the dim afternoon light. “I’m still going to find them and make them pay for what they did.”

His gaze was soft, tender. That strange fluttering feeling in your chest returned. When he reached for you, you did not flinch away. His thumb brushed over your bruised cheek, but the movement felt very different from when your brother or Stephanie had done it. The fluttering turned molten, spilled over your ribs and left your chest feeling unbearably hot. Your breath hitched, pulse fluttering as his fingers rested against your jaw. The touch was feather-light, cautious. You could pull away at any time, so different from the heavy-handed, controlling way so many others had handled you.

“Areum…” Your name was soft and sweet when it spilled from his tongue, like something to be savored. “I… you…”

He struggled for words, conflicted. You waited patiently, remained still under his touch. Patience was a learned trait, but you found that you had a deep well of it for him.

“Think on your words,” you told him, so gently. You let your fingers brush over the inside of his wrist, the skin warm. “We have time.”

“I don’t know what I want to say,” he admitted. Closing his eyes, he let his forehead rest against yours.

“That’s fine.” You smiled, closed your eyes too. “Like I said, we have time.”

For a while, you stayed like that, his hand warm against your skin and your breaths mingling. His scent washed over you, comforting. Then, finally, you pulled away. Holding your hand out, you watched a snowflake gently float down and rest on your palm before melting. Drake looked up, holding his own hand out as the snowfall turned into a small flurry. A few flakes rested on his eyelashes, balanced delicately until he blinked and turned to smile at you.

“Up for a little winter hunting?” he asked.

There was a sly curve to your answering smile. And if your fingers brushed against his own on purpose when you headed back inside, neither of you said anything about it.

\---

While the winter uniform wasn’t as… fitted as his usual one, you found that you liked the look of it on Drake even more. It had a fur lined hood, the gloves and suit thicker and warmer to keep him from freezing. His movements were still just as fluid in it, which you admired as you ran through the snow beneath him while he swung from building to building. The flair of his cape behind him looked like the bright wings of a winter bird, taking flight in the darkening sky. Your own thick winter coat of fur kept you warm, the thick pads on your feet resistant to the cold. Your breath clouded thick in front of you as you panted, the city different to your Wolf eyes. Few people were out, and those that were kept a distance from you, reeking of fear. The sun was already sinking, the continued snow fall making the sky even darker.

You had taken time to call your mother, comfort her with the knowledge that her youngest was safe. Jintae had taken time away from Earthbound to also speak with her. You’d sat by him, rested your head on his bare shoulder and basked in his scent as he spoke. The chemical reek had already disappeared, his eyes clearer, more focused. Drake had been kind enough to leave and give you a few hours of privacy. Tae had still been hesitant to talk about what he’d gone through, and you’d assured him that it was okay. Although you wanted to get this whole thing over with before you started your new job in a week or so, you didn’t want to sacrifice his comfort for it. So, you’d just enjoyed each other’s company, curled around each other in the computer chair while he played his game and you made sure to update Steph and Harper on your whereabouts. It had been nice to sleep in your true skin for the past couple of nights, but you suspected you’d need to go back home soon before they both got the wrong impression.

Although the more you thought about it, you weren’t so certain if their impression was that mistaken. Drake certainly seemed to be attracted to you, although that wasn’t necessarily a surprise. Your human skin was pleasing to the eyes of humans who were attracted to women, and you weren’t ashamed to admit it. And, of course, you found Drake attractive enough. He seemed like he would be gentle and pliant, a nice change from the humans you’d been with before. But there was also something different there. Something you couldn’t quite place your finger on. You hadn’t been shy about taking advantage of lust before, but something made you hold back this time. Perhaps you would try to seduce him later, see what his reaction was. But more than that, you wanted to give him some time. Whatever words he wanted to speak, you found yourself wanting to hear.

Romance was foreign to you, but perhaps it would be worth the experiment.

Drake landed a short distance in front of you and you slowed to a trot, ears perked as you stopped beside him. His fingers threaded into your fur, as if drawn to it, his breath fogging as he crouched.

“This place used to be a site the Ghost Dragons used for laundering,” he breathed.

You’d both stopped near the edge of the City Hall district, where warehouses lined the border between the district and the docks. The fresh snow muted the smell of rotting fish and sewage, softened it for your sensitive nose. You let out a small huff, shook some of the snow from your fur. Even an old location would still have scents for you to track, little trails to lead you on the next steps of your hunt. You nudged your head against him, tried to urge him forward so that you could follow. With a natural ease that you did not expect, he picked up on your quiet signal and stalked towards a particularly dingy looking warehouse with silent, careful steps.

You followed just as quietly, your fur which normally let you blend partially into the shadows now making you stand out against the freshly fallen snow. Drake had put the bandana around your neck again, a kind of sign that you were on his side in case you ran into anyone who needed to know. An ally or an enemy, depending on who was stalking the shadows that night. Drake held up a hand, motioned for you to wait as he climbed onto the roof. You sat, positioned under an overhang to avoid getting more snow on yourself. After a minute, the door behind you slid open and you turned to see him looking awfully proud of himself.

“Come on in,” he said, giving a sweeping gesture.

With an amused huff and a bump of your head against his hip, you slunk inside the warehouse. Without the snow, the warehouse reeked. You sneezed once, twice, three times. Then you got to work. Head low to the ground, you scented everything you could. The floor, the furniture, rotting tables and dusty money counting machines. You got up on your front paws to reach higher areas, catalogued each human scent that you encountered that hadn’t faded to incomprehensibility. Drake stayed back by the doorway, watched you work with a quiet intensity. You paused after reaching the furthest corner, ears flat against your skull. Two familiar scents, from the massacre in the Den. Circling back around to one of the rotting desks, you found the scent again. Focusing, you realized it was female.

The mysterious woman who had drugged your brother.

You let out a yip to get Drake’s attention, one paw up on the desk to balance yourself. He came over, pressed a finger to his mask. At that, you stepped away, not wanting to get in the way of his own form of hunting. He leaned closer, hood obscuring his face as he ran a hand over the wood. Then he straightened back up and crouched to smile at you.

“Enough partials to get at least a couple of fingerprints,” he said, scratching at a spot behind your ear that had you letting out a deep, pleased sound. “You’re good at this.”

Of course you were. You were a hunter, born of a natural predator and a disciplined warrior. Although they each had their flaws (your mother too tamed and willing to bend under a heavy hand, your father too hot headed and unable to see past his fury), the blend of Wolf and human no doubt helped you in your Hunt. Your tail wagged as he continued to scratch, leaning into the touch. Although you were no lap dog, you found the affection welcome, pleasing. His fingers slipped to run over your back, your ribs. Another pleased grumble slipped from you, although it was cut short when you heard a soft sound from the roof.

Drake noticed the sudden change in body language, the way your ears pressed flat against your skull. His movements stopped, head lifting so that he could scan the area. You lowered yourself, watched the roof for any movement. When you saw the figure drop down you let a loud, vicious growl rip from your chest. They paused, still crouched, and you scented the air.

_The female._

Rage blinded you, turned your vision red. This was the bitch who had drugged your twin. The bitch who no doubt had some hand in your baby brother’s kidnapping. The predator instinct kicked in and before you could even recognize your actions you were running towards her. After all, she was only human. Drake shouted something behind you, but you weren’t paying attention. All you wanted was to taste her blood, to hear her screams. So, when you lunged at her, you expected to get your jaws around her throat.

Instead, she moved with an inhuman speed, her fist colliding with your ribs. The pain radiated out, your body twisting before you landed with a low growl. She moved forward, the light of the moon catching the mask that she was wearing. It looked like a cat, porcelain and red paint. There was a soft sound and the metal of the knife she drew reflected the light.

But you were not afraid.

Circling her, you watched her movements. She was watching you just as closely, until Drake came flying at her. She blocked the kick he’d aimed at her, focused her attention on dodging his bo staff, trying to get a jab in with her knife. Then she turned her back to you.

You landed on her with a low growl, sank your teeth into her shoulder. The woman screamed, stumbled under your weight. You let your jaw lock, each movement tearing her flesh and sending blood flooding down your gullet. She twisted around far enough to punch you once, twice, three times in the head until you were too dazed to keep your grip. When you hit the ground, the knife flashed before it slashed across your face.

The pained howl you let out rang in the warehouse, blood splattering to the concrete. From you, from her. Drake hesitated in his offense, turned his attention to you. The woman took advantage of it and launched off him to scale her way back up to the roof and scurry off to a coward’s escape. You whined, lowering your head and pawing at your wounded face. He rushed over to you, ignored your instinctive growl so that he could raise your head. The bitch had missed your eyes, but the wound was still deep. Your fur was already wet with it, your vision blurring.

“Shit, Areum, you brave idiot,” he mumbled, letting you press against him. “That woman was Lynx. She’s one of the deadliest members of the Ghost Dragons.”

Still whining, you couldn’t quite comprehend what he was saying. He cursed, stared at the blood on his gloves before carding his fingers through your fur.

“Look, you’re hurt pretty bad. Can… can you shift for me?” he asked.

Shifting was no problem for you. But you had no guarantee that he wouldn’t be bothered by your nudity. Not only that, but your human skin was more susceptible to the cold. Still, you knew he couldn’t see how bad the wound was in this form. With a small groan, you allowed yourself to shift, his hand still cradling your face. You shivered, feeling the cold much more than you had before. Drake pulled off his cape, draped it around your shoulders in an attempt to hide your body from him and keep you warm.

“Shit…” His thumb brushed just under the cut. In this skin, it ran from just above your right eye to the left side of your jaw. “This… this is really bad. Deep.”

“Hurts,” you whispered, fingers clutching at the front of his uniform. This skin was weak, blood slick on your skin. “Tim…”

“It’s okay.” He pulled you closer, bundled the cape around you and guided your head to rest against his chest. “Shh, it’s okay.”

The world was fading, the blood loss and the chill setting in. Drake lifted you into his arms, ran out into the snow and tried to press you close, close as he could to keep you warm. Before you faded into a deep sleep, you heard his voice at the edge of your perception.

“Red Hood, this is Red Robin. I’m coming in with an asset who needs medical assistance…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i don't know about y'all, but this global pandemic has been wreaking havoc on my mental health. so this chapter took me a minute. also, i realized i never linked the moodboard i made for this fic, so [here it is](https://spidergwenn.tumblr.com/post/614132182391341056/fic-moodboard-mad-dog-you-arent-like-them-and)!
> 
> thank y'all, as always, for reading. i love you, stay safe and healthy.


	8. Nobody Speak

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> chapter warnings: brief non-explicit kink mention
> 
> _you wanna hear a good joke?  
>  nobody speak, nobody get choked._

The first time you met Shin Youngho, you had no idea who he was. You were only nineteen, living with your older brother and trying to escape the quickly degrading situation back home. Purchasing a fake ID had been a bad decision, but you’d used it to get into a bar, sip whiskey and contemplate if trying to blend in with humans was really the path you wanted to take.

Then the door had opened, a non-human scent had wafted towards you, and you’d turned wide-eyed to see him. Back then, you only had one tattoo, the one on your hip you’d gotten with Hyunjin. To see a man with so many, an aura of danger and mystery surrounding him… you’d been intrigued.

Shin had apparently felt the same way, because he’d walked straight for you.

Maybe it was because he saw the resemblance and wanted some dirt on you and your brother. Maybe it was because you had looked so different from everyone else there. But he had played you easily, charmed you with only a few words and had you in his bed that night.

When his hands had closed around your throat, heavy but not yet painful, some part of your brain had set off an alarm. But you were young, and you were curious, so you ignored it. For close to a year you’d known him by a false name, let him sleep with you as an escape from the overwhelming pressure. With each passing day, your family put more and more stake on your success, and you struggled under its weight. And Shin was there when you texted, no questions asked, not a lover but simply someone to relieve the stress.

But you? You were a weapon. A secret that he held, one that could bring his greatest weapon to his knees.

After all, how would Hyunjin feel if he knew what you were doing with his boss? What would he think when he learned about all the ways Shin had had you?

It was when you were twenty and introduced to him as the man who’d taken Hyunjin in that you realized just how badly you’d fucked up. When you learned how far up he’d worked his way, how many men he’d killed and had your twin kill, you felt sick.

For days, you refused to eat. You’d moved out of Cheol’s apartment and into a flat with a girl you went to school with. Stephanie Brown was sweet, assumed that it was a bad breakup and soothed you with ice cream and bad horror movies. When you were at your lowest, Stephanie had reached out and offered you a hand. She’d dragged you back into the light, even when she barely knew you.

From that first night that Stephanie Brown had reached out to you, let you spill your guts (while still keeping back what you really were) with no judgement, you’d decided she would be the first person in your new human pack. She’d thought you’d only slept with him once (that year being your secret shame), but had still reacted with such genuine sympathy to your heartache that you were almost suspicious.

But that was just who she was. Kind, no strings attached. Once Stephanie Brown called you a friend, it was for life.

And, just like that, you’d decided that you would offer the same for her.

\---

The first thing you were aware of as consciousness slowly returned to you was the smell of death. Just as panic had begun to spike, Drake’s familiar scent soothed it, let you relax. Even if death was here, you could find comfort in him. In Drake… In Tim.

You did not know how long you drifted in and out of consciousness. Tim’s scent was a constant, as well as his voice. Sometimes, there was another, deep and raspy and familiar yet strange. But you did not worry about it. For the first time in years, you placed ultimate trust in the hands of a person you barely knew.

When you did wake up, fully, the place you were in was dark. It took several blinks for your eyes to adjust, a dull pain still radiating across your skin. A soft moan spilled past your lips, your arms weak as you tried to push yourself up to sit. Warm hands found your back, helped you up. When you cleared the fog from your brain, grasped for clarity, you were aware of several things at once. The first was that someone had put you in a loose sweater and pajama pants, both thick and warm against the cold that had settled into the city. The second was that the stench of death you’d smelled before was distant, faded. Whoever it had come from had not been where you were for a while. The third was that Tim Drake sat on the edge of the bed you had slept on, his hands warm and gaze concerned.

“How long?” you rasped, voice hoarse from disuse.

“Just the night,” he told you. “It’s not even dawn yet. You seemed like you were going to wake up a few times, but went right back to sleep.”

“Hurts,” you whispered, fingers brushing over the thin bandage that covered your wound. “Shit.”

“It was a brave and stupid thing for you to rush one of the Ghost Dragon’s assassins,” he said, taking your wrist to guide your hand away. “One of my brothers stitched it up. I… You’re healing fast. But it’ll leave a scar.”

What would that do for your job prospects, you wondered. Bruises were easy to hide, but scars? That was a different story. Maybe it would land you a job with an amended story. But still, you knew it would hurt more of your chances instead of helping them.

“Humans think that scars are sexy, right?” you said, laughter weak.

“The ones with stories behind them?” Tim tried for a smile, but it looked more like a grimace. “Undeniably sexy.”

If it was a lie, you wouldn’t have known. But his hands were warm, gentle. He pushed your hair away from your face, helped you focus your gaze on him.

“Do you want a painkiller?” he asked.

“Will it make me sleepy?” you asked, hating how delicate your voice sounded.

“Probably.” He sighed, watching you nuzzle against his hand. “I don’t… really know how you would react to human medicines, but there’s a good chance that you’d sleep after taking it.”

“Then I don’t want it.” You met his gaze, your brain slowly beginning to catch up and work properly again. “We still need to find the other kids, and I need to make sure Tae is okay…”

Tim heaved a heavy sigh, hands slipping away. You almost leaned forward, chasing the touch, but managed to catch yourself.

“Areum, I brought you here so my brother could stitch you up last night. We could see bone. I know you probably heal faster than we do, but there’s no way you can just get up and get back to normal,” he said. “You need to rest.”

“I’ll rest when I’m dead.” You growled at him, swung your legs over the edge of the bed and had to take a moment to recover from the sudden wave of dizziness that hit you. How much blood had you lost? “Where’s Tae?”

“He freaked out when Jason and I came in here with you and he smelled blood,” Tim said, wincing. “He shifted and tried to attack us. Jason had to wrestle him down and lock him in the bathroom. He’s been pretty quiet.”

Likely sleeping, or waiting by the door to pounce on anyone he deemed a threat so that he could get to you. You let out a soft whine, toes curling against the cold floor before you managed to stand up. Tim hovered next to you, hand at the small of your back in case you lost your balance. Swallowing an annoyed growl, you shuffled towards the bathroom. When you opened the door, Tae barreled into you, knocking you to the ground. Tim started to reach down to help you up, but stopped when your little brother growled, teeth bared and ears plastered to his skull. His front paws were braced on your shoulders, effectively pinning you to the floor. But he put very little of his weight on you, aware of how easily he could hurt you.

It had taken a few years and a lot of bruises to get him to be more gentle with humans in his Wolf skin.

“It’s okay,” you told Tim from your spot on the floor. You lifted a hand, ruffled the fur on Tae’s neck as he let out a grumble. “Hold on, Tae…”

When you pulled off the bandage, Tim frowned. But you knew what you were doing. With a distressed whine, your brother bent his head and began to lick at your wound.

“Wait, the stitches—”

“This is how we heal,” you interrupted Tim, closing one eye as Tae licked at the wounded skin above it. “He won’t rip the stitches, but I’ll heal better if he does this.”

Humans were oddly concerned about germs, their own mouths taking far more maintenance than that of a wolf. The licking would definitely seem strange to them. But with each pass of Tae’s tongue, the pain faded. The pack bond boosted your immunity, and if you spent more time in a wolf form, you would heal even faster. However, you suspected that Tim would feel more comfortable watching your healing in your human skin.

Once he was satisfied, Jintae backed away, licking his chops and watching you carefully as you pushed yourself up to sit. Tim offered you a hand up, which you took, tipping forward a bit too much and planting your face in his chest. You smelled the shift in his scent, Jintae letting out an annoyed grumble and trotting over to the cot. He settled with his back to you, pointedly ignoring whatever was happening with you and the human. After a moment of hesitation, Tim let a hand rest on your back, relaxing as you leaned against him.

“Feeling better?” he asked, voice low.

“Mm.” You let out a soft hum, closing your eyes. The pain was manageable now, and you knew that the skin around the wound looked less inflamed. “Should probably shift at some point.”

A comfortable silence settled over you. With your ear pressed to his chest, you could hear the steady beat of his heart. Tim had let one arm loop loosely around your waist, cheek resting against the top of your head. The affection was comforting, although in a different way from your little brother’s. It warmed you in a different way, that same warm feeling spilling slow and saccharine through your chest. Syrupy sweet, it built along with a pleased rumble in your throat as he combed his fingers through your hair.

Was this the proper way that humans courted each other? These small, stolen moments, slowly ramping up to something more? You wondered, arms loosely wrapping around his waist. Was this courtship, or friendship? It was hard to tell, harder to tell which way you wanted it to go. You wanted to focus on the moment, nothing else.

The smell of death drifted towards you. Stiffening, you snapped your head to the side and watched a man slide down the ladder. Tim had instinctively pulled you closer, but relaxed when he saw the other human.

“Oh, hey Jason,” he said.

“Hope I wasn’t interrupting anything.” You recognized his gravelly voice as the one from your earlier moments of near lucidity.

Tim stepped away from you, face flushed. You let out a low growl, stumbling before you found your balance again. You glared up at this “Jason”, nose wrinkling at his smell. The man was massive, taller than all of your brothers and built like a boxer. He also did not smell even remotely human, only of death and something very, very wrong. Tae had turned to face him, teeth bared and a low growl rumbling in his chest.

“Areum,” Tim said, brow furrowed at your reaction. “This is my brother, Jason Todd. He’s the one who stitched you up.”

“Nice to see you up and about,” Todd said. He didn’t seem too bothered by your reaction, lifted a bag he was holding. “Brought some takeout for everyone. I’m assuming the pup can eat human food, yeah?”

“He should be able to.” Tim was still on edge, had let you reach out and wrap your fingers around his wrist. “Right?”

You nodded, kept your eyes on Todd as he set the bag of food down on the computer desk and approached your brother. Jintae had fallen quiet, body language wary. Todd held his hand out to him, crooked smile on his face. Now that he was closer, you could see scars on his jaw and eyebrow, smaller ones covering his knuckles. The man didn’t seem like a threat, and he was Tim’s family. But his scent made you deeply unsettled. After a moment, Jintae sniffed at his fingers and didn’t flinch away when Todd gave him a little scratch behind the ears.

“Knew he was a good boy,” Todd rumbled, pleased with himself. “Just scared and worried about his sister, hm?”

“You do know that he can bite your head off, right?” Tim asked, amused.

“I know.” Todd smirked, gave Tae one last scratch before he cautiously approached you. “That wound has healed a lot since I last saw you. Feeling better?”

Wary, you took a half-step closer to Tim, fingers tightening around his wrist. Todd seemed friendly enough, and your brother had let him scratch him. But you still weren’t sure how you felt.

“Yeah,” you said after a moment. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” He folded his arms over his chest, muscles bulging and straining against the sleeves of his shirt. “Knew that advanced first aid training would come in handy for something other than patching myself up some day.”

“Maybe we can all catch up over some breakfast tacos,” Tim suggested, glancing at you and then your brother. “Jintae, you okay with shifting and talking about what happened to you?”

With a soft huff, your little brother slid off the cot and grabbed a pair of pants in his jaws, trotting into the bathroom. You appreciated the uncharacteristic discretion from him. Letting Tim lead you back to the cot, you sat down as Todd grabbed the food and rolled the computer chair over to sit across from you. Tim stood, accepting a taco and waiting until you took a careful bite of your own before he ate. Jintae and Todd were not as polite, both of them inhaling their food. When you reached out to wipe a bit of salsa from your brother’s chin, he frowned at you, jerked from your touch.

“I’m not a baby,” he growled, wiping at his face with the back of his hand.

“Then stop acting like one,” you snapped back, finishing off your food and tossing the foil that had wrapped them into the open bag. “And put on a hoodie, you’re going to catch cold.”

Jintae, in a move that very much proved your point, made a rude gesture before stalking over to the bag you’d packed for him and pulling on a hoodie. Satisfied, you pointed to the spot on the cot next to you. Although he grumbled, he still sat obediently next to you, shoving his hands in his pockets and glaring at you from the corner of his eye.

“Do you remember anything about the men who took you?” Tim asked. He was still standing, arms crossed tightly over his chest.

“Not much.” Jintae slumped further, stared down at his bare feet. “Just remember being cornered behind the grocer. Guy was wearing a mask. Hit me really hard over the head.”

“That would explain the blood.” Tim frowned.

“Do you remember seeing any of the other kids that got taken?” Todd asked.

Jintae shook his head, shoulders relaxing a fraction when you let your hand rest on his back.

“No,” he answered. “The guy who was keeping me there… he mentioned they were keeping all of us separate. Didn’t want us accidentally killing each other while they tested out the drugs on us.”

“Do you remember anything about that guy?” you asked.

“… Yeah.” His brow furrowed. “Yeah, actually. He had this weird symbol tattooed on the back of his hand. Looked like Chinese lettering on part of it, I think.”

“Lucky Hand,” Todd said with a heavy sigh. “Great. More triad groups.”

“Think they’re all working with Scarecrow?” Tim asked.

“Maybe. Or they’re all being jerked around and Crane has a different plan in mind.” The larger man shrugged, leaned back in the chair. “Still don’t have enough intel to really have a concrete idea of what they’re all up to.”

“Sorry,” Jintae murmured.

“Hey,” you whispered, pulling him into a hug. “You did good. Don’t worry about it. We’re just glad you can give us something.”

After a moment, his arms came around you, face buried in your hair as little shivers wracked his body. Tim met your gaze and you gave a small shake of your head. Whatever they wanted, it could wait. Todd watched you as well, jerking his head towards the ladder. The two of them climbed out, leaving you with your brother.

“I think it’s time for you to go home,” you told him, rubbing soothing circles against his back. “Let you get back into your normal routine.”

“I don’t know if I can go back to normal.” His voice was soft, softer than you’d ever heard it. Jintae was brash, fearless. The boy you held in your arms was trembling and scared. “The nightmares—”

“They’ll fade with time,” you told him. “What happened to you was terrible. But you can’t let these people control your life. Go home, let mom baby you like she always does. Get lectured by dad. Text your friends and complain about how you don’t want to go back to school. Just… be a normal teenager. Let me handle the rest.”

“But what if they come after you?”

“Let them.” You pulled away enough to cup his face in your hands, brush away the tears that rolled down his cheeks. “I can take care of myself, and I have people helping me hunt. All I want right now, Tae, is for you to try to heal. Okay?”

“Okay.” He nodded, your heart breaking at the raw fear so present in his face. “I trust you, _noona_.”

Pulling him back into a tight embrace, you focused on the soft, steady sound of his heart beating. It was a reminder of what you were fighting for, and a comfort.

Tae was alive, and that was all that mattered.

\---

“Absolutely not.”

Tim frowned at you. Once you’d returned from dropping off Jintae, avoiding letting your parents see you in case they cornered you about the bandages on your face, he had been waiting for you back at his hideout. Todd had taken off shortly after you, doing his own part to try to get more info on what was going on with the triads from a few of his contacts.

“I wasn’t asking,” you said, frowning right back at him. “I’m not going to sit out of this.”

“You’re still hurt,” he pointed out.

You’d told him you were going to shift and do some hunting in Chinatown, try to pick up on any other scents. With the snowfall it would be more difficult, but any fresh movement you would be able to pick up on easier than either of the men. Frustrated, you glared at him.

“I’m already healing. You also aren’t my keeper.” Shoving your hands in the pockets of your coat, you motioned to the building. “You can stay in there and monitor me, or get updates from your brother. But I’m going out, whether you like it or not. I can either go out with something to feed information to you in real time, or you can sit and wait for me to get back. Your choice.”

It wasn’t fair to him. You knew that, but didn’t much care. You would have time to feel guilty later, to soothe his bruised ego and wounded pride. But for the time being, you had some fuckers to hunt. Looking deeply unhappy, Tim relented. Silence stretched between you as you followed him inside, watched him settle down at a workbench and pull out various tools and gadgets. When he pulled out a length of fabric, you sat down in his computer chair and quietly watched him get to work. You watched the muscles in his back move and flex, the angle of his shoulders, the dip of his head. The steady pull of a needle and thread, soft sounds of soldering. Time stretched and dilated as he worked and you watched.

When he finally turned back to you, his face was pinched. The bandana he held up was black and red, the pattern chunky and checkered. You stood up and took it from him, ran your fingers over the fabric.

“Camera and mic are sewn into pockets in it,” he explained. “You said you wanted to shift, so this can be tied around your neck and I’ll see and hear everything that you see and hear.”

“No earpieces for wolves, huh?” It was a lame joke, but at least you’d tried.

“No,” Tim said, unimpressed. “So at least take Jason with you to make sure we can communicate.”

“Fine,” you relented.

“I need to head to work.” He stood, grunted as he worked out a kinked muscle at the back of his neck. “I’ll tell Jason to come pick you up here, set up some alerts on my phone in case you leave before I get back.”

Tim started to turn away, head to the ladder, but you stopped him. Fingers holding onto the bottom of his shirt, you took a deep breath and tried to sort out your thoughts. He kept his back to you, tension in his shoulders. Carefully, movements slow, you slipped your arms around him and let your head rest against his back. Tim didn’t move, but he didn’t pull away, either. You simply held him, counted each heartbeat against your cheek.

When his hand came to rest over yours, you smiled.

“Thanks,” you whispered. His skin was warm under his shirt, hands calloused. “I’ll be careful, I promise.”

“Just come back safe,” he whispered back. You felt a small shudder go through him, his fingers lacing through yours. “That’s all I want.”

“I will.”

Something unspoken passed between you in that moment. A small, fragile thing. You felt it, but didn’t say anything. You knew that he felt it, too. When you pulled away, it took great effort. His fingers lingered on yours until you slipped them away, let him go. Tim turned just enough to look at you, dark eyes warm and fond. Then he left, the echo of the latch closing behind him shattering the moment.

You reflected on the moment, flexed your hands as you stared down at them. You could still feel the fabric of his shirt under your palms, the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. His scent lingered, plaguing your thoughts until you forced yourself to come back to the present.

When you stripped, air cold on your skin for a second before you shifted into warm, thick fur, you idly wondered who had dressed you.

That, you knew, was a question to keep under your belt until the right moment.

\---

“You know, I’ve always wanted a dog,” Jason Todd said.

You briefly considered biting him.

“She’s not a dog,” you faintly heard Tim tell him through his earpiece.

Todd rolled his eyes and you let out an amused huff, shaking snow from your fur. You hadn’t been surprised when he’d shown up, red helmet under his arm. There was only one person you’d run into who smelled so heavily of death, and the chances of there being two in Gotham were terribly low. You’d followed him through the streets to Chinatown, grudgingly let him haul you over his shoulder to sit up on a rooftop with him.

Very little had happened so far, but Todd still kept watch, helmet resting next to him while he watched the dark streets through binoculars. You settled down in a patch free of snow, resting your head on folded paws. The snow had stopped, much of it disrupted by foot traffic and cars and bikes. But it still muted most of the clashing scents of the city, made it seem distant.

“No movement so far,” Todd said. He turned to glance at you. “Hear anything?”

You let out a soft whuff, the closest you could get to saying ‘no’. Nothing beyond the normal sounds of the nightlife, soft as the wind carried it to you. Todd sighed, shifted to get more comfortable. You blinked, yawned.

“Might be keeping a low profile,” Tim’s soft voice said. “They’re probably spooked after last night.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if they went quiet for a while,” Todd murmured back. “Regroup and make sure they have all their bases covered before they get back to work.” He paused. “That’s what I would do.”

“They’re probably keeping an eye on her family, too.” You heard Tim’s sigh, soft as the wind. “Want to come back in?”

“Not yet.” Todd put the binoculars back up, elbows resting on the edge of the roof. “Give us another hour to make sure.”

You appreciated the attempt, although you weren’t going to tell him that. Instead, you let him reach out and give you a scratch behind the ears. If he did it again, though, you were going to bite him.

Silence settled over you once more, your eyes watching every person who passed under you closely. The wind picked up, Todd giving a small shiver next to you before pulling the collar of his leather jacket up. Your ears flicked, a noise catching your attention. Lifting your head, you nudged Todd with a paw to get his attention. He set down his binoculars and frowned at you. Pointing your head in the direction of the sound, you let out a growl until he looked in that direction.

“Holy shit,” he breathed.

Standing, you trotted to the edge of the roof, angled yourself as best you could so that the camera could see what you were seeing.

“Timbo, you seeing this?” Todd said.

You didn’t hear the reply, your ears trained on the conversation of the men walking below. They were still a good distance away, but their conversation still came to you in small snippets.

Rage blinded you momentarily as you recognized Shin Youngho’s voice.

“… don’t want to start anything,” he said, voice faint. “Just tell me what you want from us.”

You didn’t recognize the other man, but you could hear the thick accent to his voice.

“We want the kid.” His voice was rumbling and deep, clearly displeased. “That’s all.”

“Give me a couple days,” Shin said. “I’ll see what I can do.”

You snarled when you felt Todd grip the back of the bandana. He did not let go. Instead, he stared down at the men with a grim expression.

“Any idea why the Dragon’s Claw is talking to one of the Ghost Dragons’ new head guys?” he asked.

No. But you had an idea who they were talking about. And you knew what to do to make sure it didn’t happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whew. i hit a bit of a wall with this chapter and had to take a short break from writing. but i've been able to pick back up on this and my two other fics!!
> 
> here's a couple of recs for y'all, if you want something to help pass time during quarantine: Tales From the Loop is on Prime Video and is very, very good. Eight episodes, and based on a narrative art book! I've also been listening to a horror podcast called The Magnus Archives, and I've been hooked.
> 
> thank you as always for reading! stay healthy, stay safe!


	9. Runaway

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _you can't trap me  
>  in this frozen world anymore_

“This is a really bad idea,” Tim Drake said.

“Noted,” you told him, “and ignored.”

Seeing that Stephanie and Harper were not at the apartment was the biggest stroke of luck you’d had in days, because if they’d seen you come home with Tim, you would never have lived it down. He was sitting on your bed, frowning at you as you sorted through your closet.

“He’s the head of the Dragon’s Claw,” he said.

“Trust me,” you sighed, “I’m aware of that.”

“And you’re planning on doublecrossing him.”

“Yep.”

Tim heaved a sigh that made him sound 30 years older, head falling forward into his hands. You almost felt guilty. But this had to be done, no matter the cost.

“Areum,” he said, voice muffled by his hands. “This guy could have you and your brothers killed without batting an eye. You _really_ don’t see why I think this is a bad idea?”

“Oh no,” you told him, taking out a low-cut top and laying it across the back of your chair. “I absolutely see why you think it’s a bad idea. But I don’t really have any other choices, do I? He’s going to give up my brother, and I can’t let that happen.”

“Just give me a few days,” Tim said, “and I can come up with a plan that—”

“I don’t have a few days,” you snapped. Glaring down at him, you crossed your arms tightly. “You know as well as I do that both sides want to avoid a war, which means they’ll act as quickly as they can. I don’t know if Hyunjin is still in the hospital or back home. The faster I act, the better my chances are of keeping him safe.”

“What do you even plan to do?” he snapped back, lifting his head to return your glare. “How far are you willing to go?”

“As far as I need to.” You tossed a pair of tight jeans on top of the shirt and kicked off your boots. “Family always comes first.”

“You’re allowed to put yourself first sometimes, you know.” Frustration bled into his voice, making you bristle. “Not everything has to be about you risking your life for someone else.”

“You don’t understand.” You stalked over to him, bent down to snarl in his face. “Humans may think like that. But don’t forget that I’m not human. Everything is for the pack. _Everything_. If you don’t like it, you can get the fuck over it.”

“I just want you to be safe,” he said, heat in his voice that took you by surprise. There was a desperation there, raw and real. His hands had curled into white-knuckle fists on his lap. “Maybe that’s selfish. But I can’t just change how I feel.”

You stared at him, examined his expression. Tim looked troubled, couldn’t quite meet your eyes. There was a tension in his shoulders, in the clench of his jaw. You braced your hands on his legs, just above his knees. You watched his little flinch, felt the muscles in his thighs clench. His face flushed, eyes going wide as they flicked up to finally meet yours.

“Tim,” you told him, voice low. “I’m going to be okay.”

“You don’t know that,” he murmured.

“I do, actually.” You tilted your head, let your lips curl into a smile. “It’s sweet that you’re worried. But I’m a highly trained fighter. I was sparring before I knew how to walk. And I’m faster, smarter, and stronger than him. I’ll be okay.”

Tim didn’t respond. Instead, you watched his adam’s apple bob, his eyes drop away from yours. With a soft sigh, you straightened back up, took a step away from him. It was disappointing. What had you been hoping for? For him to fight back? For him to agree, praise your skill?

Or had you been waiting for something else?

You didn’t have time to address that. Tucking it away with the numerous other problems that you refused to acknowledge, you turned away from him and picked up your clothes. As much fun as it might have been to just change there and see how he reacted, you didn’t want to make him uncomfortable. Or, at least, more uncomfortable than you’d already made him. He remained quiet as you walked to the bathroom to change.

Although you changed quickly, when you walked back into your room, he was sitting exactly as he had been when you’d left. There was a distance to his eyes, clearly lost in his own thoughts. You tossed the clothes you’d changed out of into the hamper and cleared your throat loudly. Startled, he looked back up at you, blinking. You grabbed your coat, slipped on your boots.

“I’m heading out,” you said. “I don’t know when I’ll be back, but you can stay here if you want. If Steph and Harper come back tonight, let them know that I’m okay.”

You straightened, pulled up the hood of your coat and checked that you had your phone. Before you could turn away once more, Tim moved faster than you could track him. Startled, you went stiff as he pulled you into a tight embrace. Before you could wrap your arms around him, he’d pulled back, hands on your face. The desperation seemed to have increased tenfold, confusing you.

“Tim,” you said, “what—”

“Promise me you’ll come back,” he interrupted.

“Wh…” you blinked again, baffled. “I don’t—”

“Just—” he let out a frustrated sigh, tipped your face up towards his. “Just promise. Please.”

Part of you wanted to ask him what this was all about. Another part of you wanted to be insulted because of course you were going to come back, how could he question you like that? But the part that won out was the one that saw the intensity in his tired, bloodshot eyes.

“Okay.” You sighed, kept eye contact with him. “I promise I’ll come back.”

Then Tim Drake kissed you.

Once more, you were taken by surprise. It was quick, a press of his chapped lips against your own. Nothing more, nothing less. But that brief contact had the thing in your chest blooming, molten and sweet. It took a moment for you to breathe again. Tim looked just as surprised as you, eyes wide and fingers stiff on your jaw. You reached up, took one of his hands and gave it a small squeeze.

“I’ll come back to you, Timothy Drake,” you murmured. “So that we can unpack that.”

His laugh was startled at first, but turned warm and genuine. Tim pressed your entwined hands to his cheek, and you realized very suddenly that he had a small dimple in his right cheek when he laughed.

“That’s all I can ask for.” He sighed, then let you go.

“I’ll keep you updated,” you promised.

Heart fluttering in your chest like a startled bird, you stepped into the night feeling just a little bit braver.

\---

Shin was exactly where you suspected you would find him.

Sitting down next to him at the bar where you’d first met him, you ordered an Old Fashioned from the bartender and waited for him to acknowledge you.

“What happened to your face?” he asked, voice low.

You’d taken off the bandage, cut off the stitches. Thanks to your superhuman healing factor, what had been a terrible gash had healed to a point where it just looked like a bad scratch. Taking a sip of your drink, you glanced at him.

“Got in a fight,” you told him.

“I’m assuming the other guy looks worse,” he said.

When you smiled, it was more a flashing of your teeth, canines sharp. A warning, a reminder of the danger you posed.

“Much worse,” you simpered. “I knew I’d find you here.”

“You know me better than you pretend to,” Shin said. He turned in his seat to face you properly, leaning against the bar with a smile that you’d once found charming but now found unsettling. “What can I do for you, Areum?”

“It’s a question of what I can do for you,” you countered. “I told you that I’d pay the price for Hyunjin’s safety, and I mean it.”

The man gave you a long look, cold eyes assessing you. You thought of warm hands, tired eyes. And you were able to meet his gaze just as coldly, unmoving and unshaking. After a moment, both of you sizing each other up, he seemed satisfied. Downing the remainder of his drink, he flagged the bartender down for another one as you took another sip.

“How far are you willing to go, little sister?” he asked, smirk in his voice.

“As far as I need to.” Not really a lie, but not quite the truth.

More than anything, you had to trust that you could outwit the man at every turn. Two hunters circling one another, teeth bared and ready to strike.

“Good.” Knocking back his drink, he motioned to yours. “Finish that. Then we’ll talk.”

After a moment of hesitation, you shot the last of your drink and set down cash for it plus a tip. Shin did the same before standing up, not waiting for you as he headed for the door. You thanked the bartender quickly before hurrying to catch up with him. Both of you were quiet as he walked back towards Koreatown, walking side by side. Shin stepped into a noraebang, the girl at the desk giving him a silent nod.

You followed him into one of the larger rooms, let him close the door behind you. The room was dark, the only light coming from the tv screens and fairy lights strung above the padded seats on the opposite wall. On edge, you remained standing near the door as he casually sat, the light casting harsh shadows over his face.

“You know what your brother said to me after that first night you found him, came to check on him after he was kicked out?” he asked.

You shoved your hands in your pockets, didn’t say anything. You knew him well enough to know that he wasn’t asking for an answer. He was asking for dramatic effect before he continued.

“He said that you were the only person in that house who really understood him.” Shin smiled, eyes flashing in the dark. “That you had always been the brains to his brawn, but still had enough of the wild in you to be a real threat.”

“I’ve listened to enough of your posturing for a lifetime,” you sighed, rolling your eyes. “Just get to the fucking point, dude.”

There was a cold warning to the glare that he shot you, but you shrugged it off. While there were many things that Shin had made you feel, fear had never been one of them.

“You want me to get to the point? Fine.” Shin leaned forward, let some pop song about teen love wail on the screen. “Your brother started a war that I need to stop before bodies start piling up. The Ghost Dragons want a Wolf. You want to keep him safe? Offer up an alternative.”

You knew that Shin knew what you were. How could he not? As many people as he’d ordered your brother to take out, there was no way he couldn’t know. But you’d assumed they’d wanted him as a cold kind of vengeance. Not as an asset. Not as a weapon.

“So, I should let you offer me to them like some kind of sacrificial lamb?” you asked.

“If you’re really so hellbent on protecting him,” Shin said, vicious challenge in his voice, in his eyes, “that’s the logical conclusion.”

Leaning back against the wall, you tried to fully process the situation. What would it mean to hand yourself over? Time hung heavy over you. What if you didn’t get out of it on time? What if you got too embroiled, lost the loose control you’d managed to grapple onto, and let the job you’d landed slip through your fingers? You had to think about your own future—

No. You had to think about your family’s future too. It was thinking about your own future that had even gotten Hyunjin into the situation to begin with. If you’d stood up, if you’d walked out with him… Maybe things would have changed. Maybe they would have stayed the same.

But you’d made the mistake of being selfish once. You wouldn’t make it again.

“Fine.” You let out a heavy sigh. “Offer me up instead, then.”

There was a small break in his mask then. No more cold calculation. For just a split second, you could see and smell the smallest trace of distress. But it was gone as soon as it had appeared.

He hadn’t expected you to take the bait.

“You’re sure?” Shin asked, leaning forward and bracing his arms on his knees. “Once I hand you over, I can’t promise what will happen. It’ll be out of my control.”

“I’m sure.” You frowned, tilting your head. “You’ve never been my keeper, Youngho. I certainly don’t expect you to start now. Once they have me, I can fend for myself.”

“You’re a smart girl,” he said after a moment. “But the shit they dosed your brother with, they’ll dose you with the same stuff.”

“Oh, I hope they try.” When you smiled, you let the Wolf show, eyes flashing gold. “As good as Jinnie is, I promise you that I’m ten times better.”

Shin drummed his inked fingers against his knees, brow furrowed. For that one moment, you allowed yourself to view him as you had all those years ago. Tall, brooding, handsome. His hair fell in his eyes, clothes expensive and flattering to his long limbs. But his touch had always been cold, seeking to control instead of please. The illusion fell as quickly as you’d let it appear. Shin Youngho was poison, but just this once, you’d let him think that you were doing him a favor.

“I’ll set up a meeting,” he finally said. When he looked up at you, his gaze was cold once again. No concern, no empathy. “When they get back to me, I’ll let you know.”

“Where’s Hyunjin?” you asked. “If I’m offering myself up as a weapon in his place, at least let me know where I can find him.”

Shin sighed.

“He’s back at your parents place,” he told you. “But you’re not telling him what’s going to happen.”

“No,” you confirmed. “I’m not.”

The cheery song that had been playing was replaced by a melancholy one, the singer’s voice deep and soulful on the muted backing track. Both of you stared at each other, an unstoppable force and an immovable object.

“Go see your family,” Shin said. “And get your affairs in order. Your life is forfeit, little sister.”

“Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing,” you lied.

Casting one last glance at the screen, you frowned.

“Your music taste is shit,” you said.

Then you left the room, pulling your hood up and praying that none of your family would throw a fit when they saw you.

\---

The moment your mother saw you walk through the door, she threw a fit. Rushing to you, she cupped your face in her hands and whined.

“My baby!” she cried, the thumb she brushed over the edge of the wound near your jaw making you wince. “What happened?”

“Hi Mom,” you mumbled. “Can you at least let me get my boots off?”

She backed off long enough to let you take off your boots and coat before she was fretting over you again, dragging you into the living room. Jintae and Hyunjin were both sitting on the floor, watching some anime while your father sat with his head in his hands at the kitchen table. Your brothers both perked up when you came through the door. Tae didn’t look particularly bothered, but he’d already been aware of your wound.

Hyunjin, however, threw an even bigger fit than your mother had.

“What the hell?” he bellowed, vaulting over the couch and nearly knocking you over as he pulled you into a suffocating hug. “Who did that to you?”

“Just got in a fight,” you managed to gasp out, giving your younger brother a pointed glare.

In a rare stroke of genius, Tae kept quiet.

“I’d expect that of your brother,” your father spoke up, “not you.”

“Jinyoung,” your mother snapped. “Please.”

You’d expected your brother to snap as well. Instead, he remained tight lipped, displeased but not stirring the pot. You weren’t sure what lecture he’d gotten from your mother to exhibit this level of control, but you were impressed.

“If she really wants to get into law, then she can’t just be going around picking fights,” your father said.

It was then that the smell of soju hit you. Nose wrinkling, you glanced up at Hyunjin. He gave you a small nod, both of you tensing as you turned to look at your parents. Already, your mother was bristling.

“You should know our Areum better than that,” she argued. “Out of all of our children, she’s the most level-headed. Baby, you didn’t start the fight, did you?”

“No,” you said. Technically, you were right. Although you’d lunged for the bitch first, she was the one who had attacked your family. “Just defending myself.”

“What did I tell you?” Your mother huffed in frustration, her eyes glinting. “Just go back to your drinking.”

“Mom,” Hyunjin warned, voice low.

“Don’t speak to me like that,” your father growled.

“I’ll speak to you how I want,” she snapped back.

Tae had clambered over the couch as well, rested his chin on top of your head as he let out a soft whine.

“Have they been like this since—” you began.

“Since I got back,” Tae confirmed.

By this point, your parents were arguing with each other in rapid Korean. Your father had stood up, face hard with anger. Your mother was more furious than you had seen her in years, teeth bared. Your younger brother wrapped his arms around you, hugged you from behind as he continued to whine. Hyunjin was trying his best to look unphased, but you knew him well enough to see the distress in his eyes.

“Hey!” you yelled, loud enough to be heard over their arguing. “Shut the fuck up!”

They both looked at you in shock, argument halted for the moment. Frustrated, you glared at them in turn.

“I get that we’re all upset,” you snarled, “but you’re being ridiculous. Hyunjin just got out of the hospital. Jintae was fucking kidnapped. But both of you are too busy blaming each other to try and comfort your own children.”

Before either of them could interrupt, you slipped out of Jintae’s grip and placed a hand on his chest.

“You,” you told him, “are gonna call Jinwoo and go spend the night with him.”

Then you spun on your twin.

“And you are going to stay with Cheoljin until your own situation gets figured out,” you told Hyunjin.

Then you turned back to your parents, furious.

“When the two of you have decided to grow up and pay attention to how much this family is hurting, then you can talk to them about coming home,” you snapped. “But until then, I think it’s best for my brothers to heal in environments where they don’t have to listen to the two of you screaming at each other.”

“Baby,” your mother pleaded, anger bleeding into pain.

“No.” You stepped closer, listened to your brothers shuffle off to gather their things. “I’m taking control of this family now. I’m tired of you pretending that everything is okay and bottling it all up until you explode. And you.” You glared at your father. “You’ve done the most damage to this family. We aren’t like you. You’re going to get old and none of us will. But you signed up for it. And if you can’t deal with it, then you should leave.”

“Areum!” your mother cried, horrified.

Later you could feel guilty. But right then, right there, you were fueled not only by your own rage, but the pain you’d been bottling up for so many years. There was a time limit on how long you could put up with dysfunction, and you’d officially passed that mark.

If your plans didn’t pan out, if you got outsmarted, you didn’t want the family to crumble without that dysfunction being challenged. Turning away, you retrieved your boots and coat and waited at the bottom of the stairs for your brothers. It didn’t take long for them to come down, wearing matching looks of uncertainty.

“You got in touch with Woo and Cheol?” you asked them.

Tae nodded.

“I’m not sure if that was a good idea,” Hyunjin said. “What you said to Mom and Dad back there…”

“It’s about time one of us stood up for ourselves,” you told him. “Maybe it was harsh, but I’m not sorry. We can’t keep trying to pretend like they’re not hurting us.”

“I just hope you know what you’re doing,” he muttered.

“I always do,” you said with false confidence.

Waving goodbye to them as they went separate ways, you began the long trek back home and hoped that the decisions you’d made that night wouldn’t come back to bite you in the ass later.

\---

The apartment was silent when you returned.

You couldn’t smell Stephanie or Harper, couldn’t hear them murmuring or the soft sound of their sleeping breaths. But you could smell Tim, warm and familiar after such a short amount of time. Kicking off your boots at the door and tossing your coat onto the couch, you locked the door behind you and snuck down the hall. The door to your bedroom was still open, and you spotted Tim slumped in your chair, fast asleep.

Leaning against the door frame, you simply watched him for a moment. His arms rested loosely over his stomach, chin tucked against his chest. You watched the way his lashes fluttered against his skin, eyes flickering behind his lids as he dreamed. A dreamy sigh slipped past his lips. As perpetually tired as he was, you didn’t want to wake him from what seemed to be a rare slumber. But you also knew that his back would ache if he slept like that for too long. So you reached out, gently shaking his shoulder.

Tim woke slowly, shifting in the chair as dark, sleepy eyes met your own.

“Hey,” you said, voice soft. “Sorry to wake you up, but I’m pretty sure this chair isn’t the best place to sleep.”

“’sokay,” he mumbled, voice rough as he yawned and rubbed at his eyes. “Everything go alright?”

“As good as it could have gone,” you answered. He didn’t need to know about your little family confrontation. “Do you want to sleep here for the night?”

“I can sleep on the couch,” he mumbled.

“Why?” you asked, amused. “We’ve slept together before.”

“That was… before.” Tim opened his eyes, giving you a meaningful look. “And you were a wolf.”

“I can be a wolf if that makes you more comfortable,” you offered. “Or you can just sleep on the couch. But my bed’s a lot more comfortable, and it’s got room.”

Rising up from the chair, Tim hesitated for a moment before he let his hand rest on your hip. His fingers curled around the hem of your shirt, eyes flickering over your face. You held still, the fluttering feeling returning to your chest.

“I… I know we’ve only known each other for a few days,” he said, words soft and careful. “But I… it’s just…”

“It’s okay.” You smiled up at him, hooked a finger in his belt loop and tugged him closer to you. “You don’t have to say anything.”

Breath whooshing from his lungs in relief, Tim’s fingers slipped under your shirt, warm against the skin at the small of your back as he bent down and kissed you again. His lips were tentative, unsure. You slipped your arms around his neck, tilting your head and deepening the kiss.

Human forms of affection were fascinating. Wolves nuzzled each other, slept curled around one another and played before the decision was made to mate. Mating was quick, more about the physical act than the feelings surrounding it. But humans seemed to prolong mating, had sex for the pleasure of it instead of the need to breed. And kissing? It had grossed you out the first time you’d seen it. Wolves licked into mouths as a sign of deference, to show that the other wolf was boss. But humans kissed as a sign of deep romantic affection.

Kissing Tim, you decided, wasn’t so bad. He was gentle, handled you like you were fragile. It was a nice change from the men and women who had handled you roughly, like an object to be used instead of a person to be cherished. Tangling your fingers in his hair, you urged him on, scraped your teeth over his bottom lip and swallowed his soft moan. His own hands skimmed up further, rested just at the bottom of your ribs, fingertips sinking into your skin.

He pulled away first, his scent changing to something warm and spicy as lust threaded into it. Cheeks flushed, he pressed his forehead against yours and shuddered as your fingers slipped to the back of his neck, nails scraping against his skin.

“Your heart is racing,” you murmured, letting your lips brush over his jaw, pressing a kiss to the fluttering pulse on his neck.

“You can hear it?” he asked, a rumble in his chest that had heat pooling low in your belly.

“Of course.” You chuckled, pulled back to meet his eyes. “The shift in your smell is nice, too.”

Tim groaned, his pupils dilated and a heat in his eyes as he bit at his bottom lip.

“What do I smell like?” he asked.

“Hm.” Slipping your hands to his chest, you nuzzled into the hollow at his throat, scented him again. “Under your soap and shampoo and aftershave? You smell warm. Spicy. Like a holiday candle, comforting.”

“I smell like a holiday candle?” he laughed.

“No,” you sighed, “just comforting like one. It’s a unique scent, all your own. Stephanie smells sweet, Harper smells herbal. But you just smell…warm. Right. Like home.”

A small groan escaped him, his arms winding tightly around you and pressing you even closer.

“Tell me I’m not alone,” he whispered, lips brushing against the shell of your ear.

He didn’t need to elaborate. You knew what he meant. Knew it from the way you fit so easily in his arms, the familiarity and comfort in his smell, the warmth of his body. You knew it from the way your heart raced in tempo with his own, fingers curling in the fabric of his shirt.

“You’re not alone,” you murmured into his flushed skin. “I feel it, too.”

Tim let out a shuddering laugh, buried his face in your hair. He breathed deeply, as if he was trying to commit your scent to memory as well. Was there something wild in that smell, something even a human could pick up on? The musk of a natural predator buried under your rosemary mint shampoo and strawberry bodywash, so carefully tucked away.

“Thank you for coming back to me,” he whispered. “Thank you.”

“Always.” You closed your eyes, focused on the gentle beat of his heart beneath your palm. “I’ll have to leave again, sometime soon. But even then, I’ll come back.”

Just like that, you could feel the air in the room shift. His grip tightened on you, fear mixing into the heady scent of his lust.

“What do you have to do?” he asked.

“I don’t think you want to know,” you told him.

“Just promise me you’ll stay safe.”

“I promise.”

You pulled back, cradled his face in your hands. His lips brushed over the pulse in your wrist, eyes heavy lidded. Your thumb brushed over a small, faded scar on his cheek, stomach fluttering as he took your hand and pressed a kiss to the center of your palm.

“Let’s go to bed,” he whispered against your pulse, taking a deep breath.

He was trying to control himself, you realized. _So cute._

“Are you going to sleep in those clothes?” you asked. “I think I still have a pair of your sweatpants.”

“That would be nice.” Tim sighed, dropped your hand and took a step back from you.

With a knowing smile, you retrieved them from the hamper and handed them over. Clearing his throat, he shuffled out of the room and down the hall to the bathroom. You changed into a nightgown while he was gone, slipped into bed and set your phone up on the charger.

When he came back, you slid to one side of the bed. There was a moment of hesitation before he closed the door behind him, flicked off the lights. Your eyes adjusted quickly to the dark, shifting so that you could watch him as he pulled off his shirt and shuffled to slide under the covers. Tim was built strong but slim, a swimmer’s build in comparison to Todd’s bulky, boxer-like frame. His movements were stiff as he laid down, back facing you.

When you slipped your arm around his waist, tucked your face against the back of his neck, he began to relax. After you let out a pleased sigh, he turned to face you. Could he see you in the dark, see the pleased curl of your lips and glint in your eyes?

“Good night, Areum,” he murmured, lips brushing over yours.

“Good night, Tim,” you whispered back.

You closed your eyes, smile only growing as he curled around you, skin warm against yours. Tucking your face into his chest, you let the gentle beat of his heart lull you to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i almost put smut in this one but then remembered that this is slow burn. so all of you have to suffer with me through some more drama before these two can go to The Bone Zone. i also realize that updates have been a little slower on these. i'm definitely still trying to focus on writing, but i've had Zoom meetings for work and had to fill forms out for my annual evaluation, so i've had less time. also my mental health has been Not Great. but i'm trying, i promise.
> 
> thank you as always for reading. love y'all. be kind to yourselves.


	10. Kill Your Masters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> chapter warnings: violence, some derogatory language
> 
> _we ain't at your service, won't stay sedated  
>  won't state our numbers for names and remain faceless_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please see notes at bottom for some news regarding updates on my stories.

Only a few short hours after you had fallen asleep, Stephanie Brown slammed your door open (seriously, one day you were going to bite her for that) and startled both you and Tim awake.

“Hey Areum, I made pancakes and… oh.” She spotted the other person in bed with you and you watched with growing annoyance as her grin turned devious. “Guess I should make more, huh?”

“Get out!” you snarled, reaching for the closest textbook on your desk and throwing it.

Dodging the book, Steph just gave a sinister laugh before closing the door. Laying back down, you let out a loud groan and rubbed at your eyes.

“Well,” Tim grumbled from next to you, his arm still slung over your waist, “that could have been way more awkward than it was.”

You turned to face him, both of you blinking lazily at one another. There had been many nights where you had slept with your family as a wolf, and many more when Jintae had climbed into your bed while you were human and he was a wolf. But nights when you slept with a human in your human form? Those were rare, the instances enough for you to count on only one hand.

It was nice, though. Feeling warm skin against your own, his fingers lazily running up and down your spine, your legs tangled with his. Tim yawned, then buried his face in your hair with a tired groan.

“You sleep okay?” you asked, fighting back a smile.

“For the short amount I got,” he mumbled, “I slept great.”

“Good.” You wiggled in his arms, sighing when he only tightened his hold on you. “Tim, we should go get breakfast before Steph gets even more suspicious.”

“Just a few more minutes.” Tim rolled so that you were laid on top of him, a sleepy but fond smile on his face when you pushed yourself up onto your elbows. “Let her think what she wants.”

Letting your arms rest on either side of his head, you tilted your own with a knowing smile.

“You’re awfully bold in the morning,” you whispered.

“I just want to take advantage of this while I can,” he said. Reaching up, he tucked your hair behind your ears, a fondness in his eyes that had your face flushing. “Let me be a little selfish.”

“Well,” you conceded with a melodramatic sigh, “I guess I can do that just this once.”

The laugh that Tim answered you with was raspy enough to have your tired limbs feel suddenly electrified. He raised his head enough to give you a lazy kiss, fingers tangling in your hair when you reciprocated. Humming, you let him sit up, carrying you up with him so that you were straddling him. Blankets pooling around your hips, you gave a small shiver, pressing closer to him. A deep groan rumbled from his chest, hands moving to your waist.

This time, you were the one to break the kiss, hands resting on his bare chest. Tim’s lashes fluttered as he opened his eyes, a glaze to them that added to the musky scent of his arousal. His skin was warm, flushed with pleasure as he surged forward to kiss you again. There was nothing lazy about this kiss, a desperation in it that had your breath catching and your nails scraping over his skin. His hands moved down to your thighs, a shiver going down your spine as he shifted your hips closer to his own.

“Not… not right now,” you whispered against his lips, trying desperately to cling to your own rapidly fraying self-control. “Later.”

Chest heaving, Tim let his head fall to rest against your shoulder. With a bitter chuckle, he pressed a kiss to the tattooed skin.

“Sorry,” he murmured. “Got carried away.”

“That’s okay.” You sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I know I’m irresistible.”

His laugh was more genuine, chest rumbling against yours before he lifted his head. You grinned, pushing hair back from his face and admiring his flushed skin. Pressing one last kiss to the corner of his mouth, you slid out of bed and stretched before grabbing your robe from the closet. You heard Tim get up as well, heard the soft groan of his joints as he stretched them.

Pulling out the biggest sweatshirt you had, you tossed it to him. Tim caught it deftly, sliding it on over his head before you opened the door. Still sleepy, he kept a hand on you as he shuffled into the kitchen behind you. Stephanie and Harper both gave you smug grins, the latter sitting up on the counter while the former poured pancake batter onto a griddle. You ignored their knowing gazes, sniffing the air.

“Blueberry pancakes?” you asked.

“Yep,” Stephanie said. “Harpo got a bunch of fresh blueberries at the farmer’s market, so we figured why not use them. You guys want some bacon, too?”

“Please,” Tim mumbled, walking past you to get to the coffee pot.

“You two probably need to replenish some energy, huh?” Harper said, shooting a look at you and giggling.

“Oh my god,” you groaned, running your hands over your face. “It’s too early for this.”

“Bound to happen eventually,” Tim told you, handing you a cup of coffee with a grin. “They’ll get bored with it in a few days.”

“Bold of you to think I’d ever get bored of teasing my favorite roommate,” Steph said. “Areum, could you grab the bacon for me?”

Grumbling, you did as she asked. Much as you had hoped they would just let you live for once, you also knew that you would never hesitate to help. You even laid out the slices in another pan, tipping your head to the side so that Stephanie could bend down and kiss your cheek. Harper slid over and kissed the other one, both of them looking smug when you rolled your eyes.

“Good morning,” you grumbled at the sniggering girls. “And you’re welcome, Steph.”

“Oh, I don’t know what I’d ever do without you!” she cried out, throwing a hand up to her forehead dramatically. “Tim, you can’t take her away from me!”

Tim just sipped his coffee, mouth twitching as he tried not to smile.

“How cruel that would be, taking away the lone paragon of sanity in this household,” Harper chimed in, throwing an arm around you. “We’d never survive without you.”

“Wow, that bad, huh?” Tim said, leaning against the fridge. “How could I ever deprive them of the only adult in this house?”

“Hey,” both Steph and Harper said in unison.

You just sighed, pushing Harper off and setting the bacon aside on a plate.

“You’re all terrible,” you told them. “Tim, grab a plate.”

Serving him first, you grabbed some food for yourself and poured more coffee. Then you motioned for him to follow you and moved back into your room. With the plates on your desk, you let him sit in the chair while you reached over from the bed to eat. Focusing on the food and coffee for a while, you spoke up after finishing up the last of your bacon.

“You’ve known those two longer than I have. Were they always like that?” you asked.

Tim snorted, finishing the last of his food and taking a sip of coffee.

“They’ve actually mellowed out a lot. Steph was pretty…intense, back when we were dating.” He took another sip, waiting for you to finish up your food. “It’s good to know that they have someone sensible like you around. Y’know, to steer them back on course when they want to do something like rewire the whole kitchen or dye the cat purple.”

“They’ve helped me a lot with being more human, to be fair,” you mumbled. “Steph was there for me in a rough time, even though she barely even knew me. I’m really lucky to have them as part of my pack.”

“Have you ever thought about telling them what you are?” he asked.

“Not really,” you said. “I mean, not before. My parents were both so adamant that we do not tell anyone about the family. When Jinwoo met his wife, I thought they were going to lose it when he told them that she knew about us. Mom was terrified, sat with Mina for like… five hours to make sure that we weren’t in danger and that she wasn’t a hunter in disguise or anything. I mean, if either of my brothers tell them that you know about us, they’re gonna shit bricks.”

“But they’re part of your pack, right? I mean, you couldn’t have expected to keep it a secret for your whole life,” he pointed out.

“Eventually, they would have figured out.” You shrugged. “When they got older and I stayed young, or if I got married and had kids who were sometimes puppies, they would know. But I wanted to… I don’t know. Keep them separate from it. Kind of keep a human space separate from the non-human space. Where I can just pretend to be normal.”

“But you are normal.” Tim grinned, took your mug from you and set it on the desk in front of him. “It’s just a different normal. Everyone has a different life, and a different way of living. Just because you aren’t human doesn’t mean that you aren’t normal. You’re just different. And I think that’s great.”

“How many cups of coffee does it usually take for you to get all navel-gazey like this?” you asked with a grin, tucking your legs under you.

“Like six,” he laughed.

“Six cups?” you snorted. “That’s so unhealthy. You’re gonna give yourself palpitations.”

“Life is short, but also, like, unbearably long, you know?” Tim grinned, getting out of the chair and sitting next to you. “Also, I don’t sleep much so coffee is usually the only thing that’s keeping me going.”

“You have got to be kinder to yourself,” you sighed, resting your head on his shoulder. “Seriously.”

“Just doing what I have to do,” he told you.

“I think you just need someone to help remind you to take care of yourself,” you replied. “So you’re not constantly pushing yourself to your limits.”

“Are you volunteering?” he asked, shooting you an amused grin.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” You grinned right back at him.

“That’s why I asked.”

“Well, patience is a virtue,” you said.

Tim heaved a dramatic sigh and you laughed, leaning against his side. A comfortable silence fell over the room, his arm slung loose around your waist. You wanted to stay just like that, warm and comfortable, with a person who saw what you were and did not think less of you for it. Closing your eyes, you slowly exhaled.

“What are you going to do?” he asked quietly.

“I don’t know.” You sighed. “Whatever it takes, I guess.”

“You know that you can ask for help, right?”

“I’m aware.” Shifting, you nuzzled against his shoulder. “But this is something that I have to do alone. At least, this step is.”

“Because they can’t suspect anything,” he murmured.

“Exactly. Like I said before, I’m a big girl, I can take care of myself. People like this are just bullies. I mean, they’re armed. But bullies are bullies and I know how to deal with them.” You hummed as his fingers massaged at your hip. “I’ll be fine.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“I’m always right,” you boasted, giving him a smug grin. “Stop worrying.”

“Ugh, that’s like telling me to stop breathing,” he groaned. “I always worry.”

“Spend some time with your family, then,” you said. “Go out on patrol or whatever. Distract yourself. I promise I’ll keep you in the loop.”

He grunted, reaching out and tracing a thumb over your cheek.

“The wound is already healed,” he mumbled. “Just looks like a faded old scar.”

“One of the benefits of not being human,” you said with a shrug. “By tomorrow it’ll be mostly gone.”

There was an odd look on his face as he traced over the marred skin, brow furrowed.

“Does it bother you?” you asked, warmth replaced by a slow blooming cold.

“No,” he said. You knew that he wasn’t lying. “It’s just… different, I guess. A reminder that you look and sound and smell human, but you aren’t.”

“It’s a little off-putting, isn’t it?”

“Nah.” He smiled, finally, cupping your jaw. “Just something to get used to. You’re you, and I think it’s amazing.”

“Gross,” you giggled, face flushing as he brushed a kiss against your forehead. “Drink more coffee, you’re still too sleepy.”

“You just told me to stop drinking so much coffee,” Tim laughed, pulling you into a proper embrace. “Maybe you’re the one who’s too tired.”

“Never,” you said, voice muffled against the hoodie. “Like I said, I’m never wrong.”

Tim just laughed, arms looped tight around you. Eyes closing, you inhaled deeply. There was something pleasing about having your own scent tracing together with his. A possessive thing, you thought. A pleased rumble built in your chest as you scented him again, catalogued how much you loved having this little bit of yourself on him. You had to smother the urge to push him down and claim him, fingers twisting in the fabric of the sweatshirt.

Strange, that only a handful of nights had led you to be like this. Strange, that you had gone from not caring who he was to now being pleased to smell even a trace of yourself on him. Strange, that you were suddenly so worried about your own humanity.

“You okay?” he asked, voice soft.

“Yeah.” You nuzzled your face into his chest, let syrupy affection stick to the sides of your ribs, warming you all the way to your fingertips. “I’m great.”

\---

Walking next to Shin, hands shoved in your pockets and hood up, you forced yourself to relive those short moments. It kept you from worrying about what you were walking into, kept you from catastrophizing. Snow crunched under your boots as you wondered where Tim was, if he was thinking about you, too.

Silly, silly girl, you thought. Walking towards your doom and all you could think of was a boy.

“You good?” Shin asked from next to you, glancing down.

“I’m fine,” you bit out.

“You sure?”

“Since when did you care?” you snarled.

Shin fell quiet again after that, mouth twisted into a displeased frown.

Good. The man deserved to have someone put him in his place for once.

He stopped outside an old bar on the edge of Chinatown, blowing out a heavy sigh. You remained quiet, waited for him to make the first move. Putting a hand on the door, he opened it and stepped inside. You followed, his quiet shadow, eyes flickering around the dark space to absorb it. It was dusty, empty of furniture, the space cavernous. Shelves that had once held bottles of liquor now sat empty, some crooked and falling apart. The labels on the taps had faded, worn and unreadable from age. You kept your footsteps light as you followed Shin towards the back, what had once been a kitchen. Unlike the front, it was still clean, shining chrome and slick tile. Ovens and stove tops had been replaced with chrome work tables and tools you did not want to identify.

Four men stood near what had once been the walk-in, none of their scents familiar to you. Each were heavily scarred and bound with thick muscle. They all looked young, not much older than you. But they all had the eyes of old men, dark and detached as they watched you approach. All of them were human, thankfully. Some of your worries bleeding away, you stopped next to Shin, muscles tense.

“That’s not the kid,” one of the men said. His voice was deep, rasping. “You said you’d bring us the kid.”

“I said I’d bring you a wolf,” Shin corrected. “And I brought you a wolf.”

“You brought us a girl,” another said. His voice was airy, eyes narrowed as he looked you over. “A tiny one.”

“She’s tougher than the one you wanted.” Shin nodded at you. “Figure you guys would be big believers that size doesn’t matter.”

All of them tensed at that, the jab landing hard. You took some pleasure in the offense that showed on their faces. A third man spoke up, the tallest of all of them. A dragon tattoo on his neck trailed up to his jaw.

“Boss will have to clear it,” he said. “She was under the impression we were getting your guy.”

“You really want to drag her all the way out here?” Shin asked. “Pretty sure she’ll be pissed. Why don’t you just let her give you a demo?”

“Don’t wanna damage the package before it arrives,” the fourth man said. His Chinese accent was thick. “Looks fragile.”

A low growl escaped you at that, the four men snapping their attention to you. You pushed back your hood, pulled off your jacket and shoved it at Shin.

“Worried I’ll embarrass you?” you asked, baring your teeth. “Getting your ass kicked by a little girl like me would be pretty emasculating.”

The tallest of them glared down at you as you rolled up your sleeves, muscle in his jaw ticking.

“Where’d you find this one?” he asked. “Mouthy bitch.”

“Scared she’ll put your money where your mouth is?” Shin said with a vicious grin. “C’mon, just let her show you that I can follow through.”

They looked at each other, conversed in low voices in Mandarin before the second man, the one with the airy voice and thick arms, stepped up. He took off his jacket, intricate tattoos moving as he flexed his muscles. Adrenaline pumping at the thought of beating his ass, you cracked your knuckles and took a step towards him.

“Try not to kill him,” Shin said.

“No promises,” you snarled.

The man moved first, fast for his size. Both arms swung towards you, a move to grab you. Moving on instinct, you dropped into a crouch. Grabbing onto each of his legs, you braced your head against his hip and used his momentum to throw him to the side, his head glancing against one of the work tables with a loud, metallic clang. Keeping your weight on the balls of your feet, you grabbed him by the back of his neck and slammed his face against the table again. The smell of blood hit you as you heard his nose crack, a pained grunt escaping him. Whirling around, he managed to get a hand around your throat, his broad frame lurching forward. Thrown off balance, you tumbled backwards and into the wall. His grip tightened around your throat, eyes wild and blood leaking down his chin.

Instincts kicked in and you wrapped your hands around his arm, nails digging deep into his arm as you managed to turn enough to bite hard into his wrist. Blood flooded your mouth as he cried out, tried to pull away. Flesh tore as he ripped away from you, but you kept moving. Lunging forward, you hit him in the gut with your knee, then jabbed your elbow into his throat. With the wind knocked out of him, he fell to the ground and you followed. Snarling like a wild animal, you bit down again onto his shoulder, ignored his fist glancing off of your ribs as your jaw locked.

“Enough,” Shin said, voice commanding. “You’ve made your point.”

Eyes narrowed, you let go of the man, licking at the blood on your lips. You backed away to stand next to Shin again, the human mask fulling fallen away. You knew that your eyes glinted in the light, teeth sharp and nails more like claws. The man you’d bloodied got to his feet, hand pressed over his bleeding shoulder.

“Still think I’m short selling you?” Shin asked, smug. “She’s fast, she’s vicious, and she volunteered. Better than having to deal with someone forced to work with you.”

“You good, Xi?” the first man asked.

Xi only nodded, fear in his eyes as he regarded you. When you smiled, you made sure they could see your sharp, bloody teeth. The third man let out a heavy sigh, crossing his arms.

“All right,” he said. “We’ll take the girl. But if the boss isn’t pleased—”

“That’s her problem,” Shin told him.

Taking your coat back from him, you gave Shin a small nod. After a moment of hesitation, he gave you a pat on the shoulder and then turned to leave. Alone in a room with men who would surely be all too happy to kill you, you wiped at your mouth with the back of your hand.

“So,” you said with false cheer, “let’s get out of here, yeah?”

\---

The ride to Tricorner was long and awkward, silence falling over the car. You sat in the back between the man you’d beaten and the man with a deep voice, hands folded in your lap.

You got the feeling that the only thing keeping them from pulling over and trying to kill you was their fear of angering their new boss.

The building you stopped at was just as abandoned looking as the other places you’d seen. The Ghost Dragons, it seemed, had ditched their opulent little den for places off the beaten path. You slipped out of the car and followed the four men inside, ears pricking as you heard muffled voices.

Then you smelled her.

Muscles tensing, you looked up with wide eyes to see Lynx reclining in a chair, surrounded by other burly, tattooed men. Her smile had an edge to it as you approached. Even though the wound was mostly healed, her eyes lit with recognition when you were close enough for her to see. The smile turned even more vicious as she stood and approached you.

“I was expecting a different wolf,” she said, voice lilting. The woman was barely taller than you, but the men who had brought you in bowed their heads when she stopped in front of you. “But it looks like Shin gave me an even better gift than I expected.”

Blood running cold, you glared at her as she inspected you, cold fingers gripping your chin hard so she could turn your face.

“Just as pretty as your brother,” she simpered. “And a nice little bargaining chip.”

“You know this girl?” Xi asked, glaring down at you.

“She’s the Red Robin’s new little pet,” Lynx told him, eyes still on you. “The one who ambushed me the other night.”

The men all stiffened, the tension you’d felt before only growing sharper.

“Fuckin’ Koreans tricked us,” the first man snarled. His hand closed over your shoulder, grip painful. “Knew we shouldn’t have trusted that tricky fucker.”

“No,” Lynx said. “We’re the ones who got the better deal, here. Use your fucking brain for a second, Wong. Not only do we have something that one of the Koreans will want back, we also have something one of the little bats wants. Plus, judging by how fucked Xi’s face is, she’s a good asset. What better distraction is there for our little patron than setting loose Red’s girlfriend on the city?”

Silence fell as you tried to absorb what you’d just heard. The hand on your shoulder moved to the back of your neck.

“Or maybe,” she said with a sigh, “it’s just better to kill her and string her body up as a warning.”

_Fuck._

There was little warning before one of the men drew a knife and charged you. Driving your elbow into the gut of the guy holding onto you, you managed to twist so that the blade drove into his shoulder instead of your throat. Another rushed you, a short sword in his hand. Gritting your teeth, you rushed to meet him, kicking his wrist and snatching the sword as it fell from his grip. Turning it so that the blunt side faced him, you clubbed him across the face, watched as he fell. When you backed up, sword held in one hand and heart pounding, you realized that all of them men had drawn blades, Lynx smirking as they blocked your path to her.

“Fuck it,” you snarled.

Then you launched yourself at them. Blades flashed in the garish lighting as you slashed at one man’s arm, ducking to avoid a swing and arm numb as you blocked a vicious overhead swing that had come at you. Instinct kicked in once more, each movement bleeding into the next as you dashed through the men, rolling and dodging and slashing. Blood splattered the concrete floor, your breathing coming in quick, desperate pants as you dashed towards Lynx. A hard blow connected with the side of your head and you stumbled, blade tumbling from your hand. A hand grabbed you by the hair, yanking hard. You cried out, back connecting with a hard, muscular chest. A blade pressed against your throat and you stilled, vision still swimming from the blow. Small cuts covered your limbs, chest heaving as you tried to focus on Lynx as she approached you.

“Cute,” she said.

“You want me to slit her?” the man holding you asked.

“Hm.” Lynx watched you, the way your limbs shook as you tried to keep still. “No. Knock her out, chain her. I’m gonna get in touch with Crane and the others. I think it’s about time we started moving.”

“No,” you gasped.

“Sorry, little sister.” Lynx smiled. “But it looks like your time is up.”

Her laughter rang in your ears before the blow came and darkness swallowed you whole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so. just wanted to kind of keep you guys in the loop. i got news a couple days ago that i'm being furloughed for the months of may and june. considering my mental health has already been.... not great, i didn't take it well. writing updates has been difficult for me, although i do want to finish off the three stories i have going right now. but they're going to be much slower, since i have to figure out filing for unemployment and how i'm going to pay to keep my health insurance. i'm also struggling a bit with some of the more difficult topics i've introduced in What the Water Gave Me, so i may take another small break from that one until i'm in a better headspace. i'm really sorry to drop this on you guys, but i wanted to make sure you knew why these chapters are going to come out much slower than they had before.
> 
> that said, i'd love to talk to you guys. your comments have really helped me stay level and have brightened some pretty dark moments. if you're interested, you can follow me on tumblr @spidergwenn and chat there. i'm also on steam @mynoghraa if you want to talk to me there. if any of you are interested in putting together a discord or something too, just let me know. 
> 
> thank you as always for reading. i love you guys so much. be kind to yourselves.


	11. NOT BY THE MOON

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> chapter warnings: tim's pov, violence, implied psychosis
> 
> _o, swear not by the moon_

Tim Drake was not the type of person who was ruled by his emotions. Since he’d been taken under Bruce’s wing, he’d prided himself on being the most levelheaded member of their motley little family.

Staring down at his phone, waiting for an update from Areum, however, made him question his levelheadedness.

It had been hours since her last contact, hours since she’d let him know that she’d met up with Youngho Shin and was taking the next step in her hunt. Maybe he was being paranoid. It wouldn’t be the first time, but usually his paranoia was fueled by hard facts and logic. Not his emotions. Not the inner turmoil he felt. Pacing his hideout, he ignored Dick Grayson’s sharp gaze.

“You really like her, don’t you?” Dick asked, sprawled in his chair, blue eyes tracking each step. “It’s been years since I’ve seen you this worked up.”

“Shut up,” Tim snapped, pausing long enough to glare at the older man before he resumed his pacing. “I’m just worried.”

“Just worried seems like an understatement,” Dick pointed out.

“Didn’t I just ask you to shut up?”

Tim let out a frustrated sigh, throwing himself onto the bench next to his mass spectrometer, phone still devoid of updates. Areum had promised to give him regular updates, so what did her silence mean? He’d given her space to respect her, to respect whatever process she had come up with to solve their problem. But he was starting to get antsy, his irrational heart starting to override his rational brain.

“Tim,” Dick said, voice low and serious. His Dad Voice. “What’s really going on?”

It was hard to lock him out. Tim had spent so much of his life looking up to Dick, aspiring to be like him. Even if Bruce had said he had surpassed him in logic, in curiosity, the man peering at him with worry was still his older brother, his senior.

“She told me she’d keep me up to date,” Tim told him, staring down at his hands. “But it’s been hours since her last text. I’m…” He paused, ran his hands over his face. “I’m worried. Worried that something’s happened.”

If there was anyone in their weird little family who would understand, it was Dick. As terrified as Tim was of Dick’s girlfriend, the two of them had been through hell and back together. Dick had seen Koshka’s half-dead body, watched her transform into something else. Dick would understand, but Tim still hesitated. Areum kept so many secrets close to her chest, kept so much even from Steph that he was scared to divulge anything to a man she’d never met.

“Do you need help?” Dick asked.

There was a palpable weight to those words. What he meant was ‘do you want help from Nightwing? Do you want help from a monster?’. And frankly, Tim didn’t know. He wanted to trust Areum. He’d seen her fight, knew that she was capable of handling herself. But what if she was taken by surprise? What if she’d been overwhelmed?

Each worst-case scenario swam in his head, drove him crazy. He wanted to feel her in his arms, wanted her to smirk up at him and tell him that he was worrying too much. But she wasn’t there, and he felt her absence all too keenly.

It had only been a few days, but it felt like his heart was bleeding without her there to patch it up.

“Yeah,” he finally admitted. He couldn’t look at Dick. “I think I might need help.”

Tim heard Dick’s footsteps before his hand fell onto his shoulder, giving it a friendly, comforting squeeze. It didn’t help, only made the pit in his stomach grow.

“Then you’ll have help,” Dick said, voice low. “You know where she might be?”

“I don’t know.” Shame rendered him cold as he admitted that fact, eyes unfocused as he flexed his fingers. “I know she was probably in Chinatown at some point, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they moved her to a secondary location. Somewhere that would be hard to find.”

“Did she have anything that you could track her with?” Dick asked.

Head jerking up, Tim pushed past his oldest brother to get to the bank of computer screens. His fingers flew over the keyboard, bringing up the program he’d set up to track phones.

“She had her phone,” he mumbled, typing in the number from memory. “Maybe… maybe.”

Dick was quiet as he came to stand behind him, but the tension in the air was palpable. Both of them were far too aware of what Tim had to lose. Gnawing at his bottom lip, Tim ran the program, watched a path emerge until it came to a sudden stop.

“Tricorner,” Dick mumbled from behind him. “Pretty close to Iceberg Lounge. Lots of water around, do you want me to—”

“Do it.” Tim glared at the screen. “Whatever it takes, I want to make sure she’s okay.”

After a beat, Dick let out a quiet sigh. Then Tim watched in the reflection of the screens as he pulled out his phone, retreated to a far corner to speak to Koshka. Instinctively, he knew it was her. No one knew the Gotham waters as well as she did. No one would know as quickly as she would if Areum was—

No. He wasn’t going to finish that thought.

Standing up, Tim stalked towards the stealth uniform he kept. Stripping, he pulled it on and tried to sort his thoughts into something resembling orderly. But all he could think of was pulling her into his arms. All he wanted was to kiss her breathless, to see her sharp teeth flash in a smug grin and her eyes glow amber in the dim light.

“It’s a full moon,” Dick pointed out, pulling off his shirt to reveal his uniform.

“Yeah,” Tim said, putting on his mask. “Perfect night to show off a werewolf.”

\---

Swinging through Gotham, Tim tried to rationalize what it was that had changed inside of him. Logically, he knew that nothing was particularly different about that night. The same people walked the streets, the same cops patrolled them. But there was something different.

He tried to tell himself that it wasn’t the full moon hanging heavy above himself, but each excuse he tried to offer to himself felt more empty than the previous one.

Tim wasn’t any stranger to the myths of werewolves. He’d seen movies, watched books. The moon had always been heavily involved in every story he’d ingested. No matter how he tried to justify it, he just couldn’t think of any reason why someone wouldn’t take advantage of the closest thing they had to a werewolf on a night when the moon was so present.

 _Illang_. The clues had been there for so long. The name of her father’s gym, the odd distance she’d regarded him with the first time she’d met him. Not only that, but the wild edge in her eyes when she’d looked at him. Like he was something to study, something other.

His mother had told him stories about Areum’s people, when he was a child. Strange people who lived in the forests, avoided people. Monsters and beasts, that was what they had been reduced to. Busan had been no stranger to those myths, as much as he’d tried to hide his reaction from her the moment she’d mentioned the word. How many of her people lived in their homeland? How many of them lived in Gotham? How long had they existed in the shadows, let themselves be regarded as nothing more than myth?

Landing on the roof of an abandoned warehouse, Tim pulled up his phone feed briefly. Not much, other than updates from Koshka saying she hadn’t found a body yet.

That was good, he reminded himself. As long was there wasn’t a body, there was hope.

Dick’s voice crackled to life in his ear.

“Red Robin, do you copy?”

“Copy,” he said, crouching low on the ledge, regarding the moon above him. “What’s up?”

“Reported break at Arkham,” Dick said. “Several dangerous prisoners.”

Tim sighed.

“And?” he asked.

“There’s reports of a creature near the asylum,” he said, voice tight. “I’m on my way there now. You coming?”

What were the chances of a creature hitting the asylum on the same night as a full moon? What were the chances that it was a distraction? Tim closed his eyes, thought of black fur and white paws. If it was her, he would know.

“On my way,” Tim said, pulling out his grappling line and quickly figuring out the fastest way there from his current position. “How far are you?”

“Only a few minutes,” Dick told him.

“When you get there,” Tim grunted, launching off the side of a casino and letting the wings of his cape flare behind him, “describe them to me.”

It didn’t take long.

Dick’s voice crackled over the radio, strained.

“Looks like… well. A werewolf,” he said.

“Describe it,” Tim said, heart pounding. If it was her… what did that mean? Did he have antidote to the toxin in his belt? Would she recognize him? How many people had she hurt or killed?

“Black fur,” Dick panted. Tim heard a roar in the background, muffled screams. “White spots on the hands and feet, and on the chest.”

Tim’s blood ran cold. When he’d seen Areum’s other form, the small wolf who had been so affectionate with him, she’d had the same markings. Black fur, white markings on her feet and chest. Running across the rooftop he was on and launching himself into the cold night air, Tim tried to convince himself that this wasn’t the end.

“I’ll be there as soon as I can,” he panted, flipping off the next wall he could and convincing himself that he would get there in time. “That’s her.”

There was silence over the radio before he heard Koshka’s voice, soft and melodic, accent thick and tone apologetic.

“Red Robin,” she said. “I don’t think there’s much of her present.”

“It’s… it’s bad,” Dick added, tone apologetic.

“I don’t care,” Tim snapped. “I’m almost there. Just… just stand by, okay?”

Silence met him. Tim Drake was not someone who was ruled by his emotions.

But if his heart broke, there was no one around him who could confirm that fact.

\---

By the time Tim reached Arkham, he knew that the situation had turned against all of them. Dick was silent as he landed next to him, cape settling around him and the sensors in his mask adjusting to the lighting. Somewhere in the water, Koshka was watching with her uncanny eyes.

“How bad is it?” Tim asked.

“Bad,” Dick answered. “We stood by. But Tim…” He sighed.

Nothing else needed to be said. He could see her.

The moon was unforgiving in its light, harsh and bright over the small island. With the blood pooled around her, Areum stood out. Somewhere between human and wolf forms, she had settled at the gate, low growl rumbling even to where he sat. Black fur covered her skin, muscles bulging under them. Whatever she’d been wearing had been shredded, hanging loose from her monstrous limbs. Her eyes, once a soothing amber, were now a blood red, flashing as she paced back and forth. Her knees were bent back, hands hanging down as she made her patrol.

Bodies littered the ground, limbs scattered over the concrete and alarms blaring loud in the background. Blood reflected the moonlight, stained her thick fur.

“It’s fine,” he lied.

God, everything was not fine. She looked just like her brother, back when they’d encountered him in that basement. Crazed and not herself, a monster to be feared. Pulling out his bo staff, he glanced at Dick.

“Crane’s among the escapees, isn’t he?” he asked.

Dick gave a brief nod of acknowledgement.

Of course he was. Tim bristled.

“You focus on Crane,” he said. “Koshka, you too.”

“Rodger that,” the dreamy voice replied in his ear. “Babe?”

“Right behind you.” Dick clapped Tim on the shoulder, face contorted in worry even behind the mask. “You sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah.”

No. No, he wasn’t okay. The first person to make him feel like he was real since Steph had been forced to become a monster, had stained her hands with blood even when she’d longed to be normal. He was furious. But anger could come later. Now, in the moment, he needed to be focused. Dick lingered for a moment longer before he flipped off the building, his conversation with Koshka on a private channel.

“God,” Tim whispered to himself. “What did you get yourself into?”

After a few deep breaths, Tim swung off his perch, landing a few feet away from Areum. In this form, she was larger than him. Instinct screamed for him to run as she turned her massive, furry head to face him. Instead, he raised his staff, stared down her bloody eyes and tried to convince himself that he could take care of the situation.

“Areum,” he said, heedless of whoever could be listening. “I know you’re in there.”

The beast in front of him growled, fell to all fours and regarded him with empty eyes. If the girl he’d fallen for, the girl who had reached out to him and pulled him from his self-imposed loneliness was there, she was too far gone. He was facing down the wolf, the beast she had worked so hard to repress. Tim’s heart broke all over again, although he didn’t dare show it.

The beast that had been Areum lunged for him and he rolled out of the way, pulling his grapping gun from his belt. With a small wince, he shot it, watched the line wrap around her throat. The beast screamed, a sound that shook him to his core. When she charged, Tim rolled out of the way, ignoring the gore that stuck to his skin and uniform.

“Come on,” he yelled, blocking a vicious swipe sent his way, “you have to be in there!”

The beast howled, bloody maw pointed towards the night sky. What remained of Areum’s clothes hung from the beast’s frame, dark and tattered and stained with blood. How many people had she killed? Would she even remember the whole thing when she recovered? Or would it be a fever dream, something shoved to the very edges of her consciousness and relegated as a bad dream? She glared at him, no intelligence in those glazed eyes. With a hard tug, she ripped the grappling gun from his hands.

“Please,” he whispered under his breath.

Areum charged, her terrible clawed hands reaching for him. Tim slid out of the way, the slick blood that covered the ground a terrible advantage. She screamed in frustration, darted forward with a speed he hadn’t been expecting. Tim blocked her jaws just in time to keep them from closing around his throat, her teeth caught on his staff and a frustrated growl building in her throat.

“No,” he cried, “no, no, come on!”

He wrenched the staff to the side, threw her off balance. Reaching for his belt for what he hoped was an antidote for the strain she’d been infected with, Tim pulled the needle out and watched the blood drip from her fangs.

“I just….” he hesitated, wondered how much of what he said could be heard. Was she even there? Would she remember any of this? Would she know how many people she had killed? Or would she be spared, ignorant to the families she’d destroyed? “I just want you to know, you aren’t the monster they made you.”

Areum howled, her head tilted to the moon in the sky, eyes glinting. He tried to remember her small human form in his arms, the way her legs had tangled with his. He remembered the feeling of her lips on his, of her fur soft and warm beneath his fingers.

The monster that called to the moon was not who he had fallen for. She was a fabrication, a distraction. A nightmare, one they would both have to live with for months, if not years, to come. Mumbling an apology under his breath, Tim hit her hard across the snout with his staff, watched the way her head jerked to the side, heard the growl grow in volume.

This wasn’t her, he reminded himself. Areum was gentle. Areum wanted to be normal. Areum wanted the job he’d guaranteed her at WayneTech. Her claws scraped over his side, hot pain radiating over his ribs as he pushed closer and let her jaws close over his non-dominant arm. Her teeth sank deep, and it took every ounce of training Bruce had instilled in him not to cry out. But he used his other hand to shoot the antidote in.

A tense moment passed, her red eyes staring into his, teeth still buried into his flesh. Then, ever so slowly, the grip relaxed. Tim watched with wide eyes as she slowly shifted back. Fur disappeared, replaced by tattooed skin as her eyes closed. Slowly, terribly slowly, her eyes closed. Mouth slipping away from him, skin streaked with blood, Areum sank into his waiting arms limp and unresponsive. Ignoring the pain that radiated up his arm, he bundled her close, cape covering her partially clothed form.

Would she remember any of this? Would she be haunted by it? Or would it be another terrible story for her to absorb, flesh and blood clotted under her nails?

Tim held her close, let his cape swallow her unconscious form before he called for help on an open channel.

It didn’t matter who answered. It didn’t matter what they thought. In that moment, all he wanted was to know that she would be okay.

And, in that moment, Tim Drake realized that maybe Areum meant more to him than he’d realized. He pressed his face into her matted hair, counted each weak, soft breath she took. Fingers shaking, he pressed a hand to her ribs to feel the slow beat of her heart.

The voice that crackled over the radio was not one that he had expected, but one that soothed his raw nerves.

“Tell me your location, and I’ll be there fast as I can,” Conner Kent said, voice low in his ear.

If there was a person outside of Gotham who would sympathize with Areum’s plight, it would be Conner. Pulling her closer, and feeling each of her small breaths fan over the skin of his neck, he shared his coordinates and waited.

\---

After being forced to sit still so that Conner could bandage his arm and side, Tim sat at his computer in just the bottom half of his costume, rage and exhaustion making him ache. Conner had helped him wash the blood from Areum’s skin, both of them fumbling blindly with eyes closed to change her and then get her into bed.

She was still asleep, breathing even and tucked under blankets. Conner stood behind him, frowning at the screen.

“So, let me get this straight,” the other boy said. “Scarecrow synthesized a new strain of his toxin to target werewolves who have been hiding in Gotham, you’re kind of but not really seeing one of them, her brother is involved with the Dragon’s Claw, she went to do something for him in his place, and then just showed back up as a rampaging monster werewolf.”

“Yeah, pretty much,” Tim said.

“Fuck, dude.” Conner sighed, resting a hand on the back of Tim’s chair. “Gotham sucks.”

“Yep,” he sighed. “Scarecrow escaped, too. Which means he’s probably gonna be providing more of the toxin to the triads and whoever else is willing to work with him.”

“I’m guessing someone’s already tracking him down.”

“Dick and his girlfriend are on it,” Tim replied.

“The creepy one?” Conner asked.

A little shudder went down his spine. As nice as Koshka was, her inherent nature still creeped him out. He’d caught her eating raw ground beef at 3 am once when he’d spent the night and hadn’t been able to get the sight (or the sound of it) out of his head for weeks.

“Yeah,” he sighed. “Last update he sent wasn’t very hopeful, though. Pretty sure they lost him somewhere in Chinatown.”

“Want me to help out?”

“Kon.” Tim sighed again, turned in his chair to look up at his friend. “You don’t have to. I know you’re busy with other—”

“Tim, you have gotta learn to ask for help,” he interrupted. “Seriously. How long has it been since you got a full night’s sleep? Not just a few hours, but the actual amount that you’re supposed to get.”

“… a few days,” he answered, sheepish.

“Well.” Kon sighed. “Better than I expected from you. But still not good enough.”

“God, not you too.” Tim let his head fall back, rolling his eyes. “I’m fine. I can take care of myself.”

“How many cups of coffee have you had today?”

“Why?”

Kon gave him a hard look.

“Tim,” he said, stern.

“Fine.” He threw up his hands, wincing as the motion pulled at the gashes on his ribs. “If you’re offering help, then I’m not going to turn you away. You wouldn’t take no for an answer, anyway.”

“You know it, Timbo.” Kon grinned, reaching down to ruffle his hair. “What else are best friends for?”

“Right,” he sighed. “Best friends are best for rolling over you and ignoring what you want.”

“Only when it’s best for their stupid friend who didn’t even tell them that they were seeing a hot werewolf chick,” Kon snapped back.

“I’m not—we aren’t—” Tim spluttered, face flushing.

“I saw the way you were looking at her, man.” Kon shook his head, smirking. “Just admit it.”

“We’re not dating,” he mumbled, turning his attention back to his computer.

“You should be,” Kon said with a yawn. “She’s seriously—”

“If you say she’s hot one more time, I swear I’m gonna punch you,” Tim snarled.

Kon held up his hands with a grin, not looking at all sorry. Still grumbling under his breath, Tim brought up a few of his tracking programs, running an inquiry for anything that could indicate another wolf rampaging in the city. Kon just watched, falling silent and scanning the results along with him.

But as they worked, Tim knew that he was just waiting for Areum to wake up. Tried to distract himself so that he wouldn’t just be hovering over her. Nothing was really coming up, frustration rising hot and heavy in his chest. He didn’t want to just be sitting there, feeling useless and trying to ignore the pity in his best friend’s eyes. He wanted to be out on the streets, wanted to be tracking down the people who had done this to Areum. But he also didn’t want to leave her alone, didn’t want her to wake up alone and afraid with no one there to comfort her.

Just as Kon had started to doze off in one of his other chairs, his own eyes drooping as he scanned through police chatter, Areum woke up screaming.

Bolting out of his chair, Tim ignored the startled noise Kon made and fell heavily on his knees next to the cot. Areum’s eyes were wide, chest heaving with panicked breaths and skin slick with sweat. He grabbed her shoulders, gave her a small shake until the glaze in her eyes faded into clarity.

“Hey, you’re okay. It’s okay,” he said, pushing her hair out of her face. “You’re safe.”

“Tim,” she sobbed. He realized with a start that he’d never seen her cry before. Her face was splotchy, eyes red rimmed and swollen. “Oh my god, Tim—”

“You’re okay.” Tim caught her as she threw herself into his arms, trembling and crying.

Kon stood next to him, face furrowed in concern. This wasn’t how he’d wanted them to meet. Not with brave, proud Areum crying into his chest. Not with her bruised and cut and still suffering the aftermath of the fear toxin.

“Should I, uh…” Kon cleared his throat. “Should I give you a minute?”

“If you don’t mind,” Tim mumbled, still cradling Areum. “Thanks, Kon.”

“No problem, Timbo.”

With one last concerned look at the girl shaking in his arms, Kon leaped up to access the roof. Even though the clone could easily hear whatever they said, Tim trusted that he would turn his Kryptonian senses elsewhere and give them some privacy. Settling down on the cot, he let Areum cry, let her tire herself out. Once her sobs faded into soft sniffles, he adjusted her in his arms so that he could look at her.

“Can you tell me what happened?” he asked, brow furrowed.

Areum hesitated. But then, finally, she nodded and took a deep breath.

Then, she began to tell her story in a soft, shaking voice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know i said that chapter updates would be slow but i got wine drunk last night and pounded out this chapter while listening to the new got7 album. whoops. next chapter will be back in the second person pov. also, surprise appearance of koshka! she'll be back, don't worry.
> 
> also, i've created a discord server, if any of y'all [want to join](https://discord.gg/2SdGtYp)! i'd love to talk to y'all and be friends.
> 
> thanks as always for reading. be kind to yourselves.


	12. Blinding Lights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> chapter warnings: trauma-induced flashbacks, descriptions of gore/violence, hyunjin being an asshole
> 
> _i'm drowning in the night  
>  oh, when i'm like this, you're the one i trust_

“I… after I was handed over to the Ghost Dragons and Lynx ordered for me to be attacked, I woke up chained and gagged,” you said, slowly. Even with Tim’s hands rubbing comforting circles on your back, your hands braced on his chest, you could still feel the cold iron against your skin. “I didn’t know where I was, at first. Lynx wasn’t there, just a few of her lackeys that I hadn’t taken down. They were speaking in Cantonese so I… I couldn’t understand them.”

“It’s okay,” Tim murmured, nuzzling against the top of your head. The easy affection eased some of your fear, your discomfort. “Take your time.”

Deep breath in, slow breath out. You needed to ground yourself. It was hard enough not to bury your face in his skin, whine and cry for the comfort you needed. The comfort you wanted, but couldn’t ask for. Not yet.

“A lot of it… it’s a blur,” you admitted, voice so painfully small. This wasn’t you. You weren’t supposed to be scared and small. “I remember being thrown in the back of a van. I… I remember a respirator being forced over my face so I could inhale this gas. It was so chemical… so wrong. Like what I smelled on Hyunjin. And then I just… I hurt. I was in so much pain. They removed the chains from me, but the gas made me change. Not the right way. It hurt. It hurt so much. I was so scared. But I was also so angry, I…”

Blood in your mouth. Teeth ripping and tearing, flesh sliding down your throat and the moon hanging heavy and accusatory in the night sky. Although Tim and his mysterious friend had cleaned you, you could still smell the people you had killed. You could feel their blood clotted under your nails, the taste of their blood lingering at the back of your throat. The tears came again, even though you hated them.

“It felt good,” you sobbed, burying your face in his chest. Tim held you close, so close, so that you were draped over his lap, your hands clutching desperately at his bare chest. “Killing them, eating them… it felt good. I can still… I can hear them screaming, Tim—”

“Areum.” His voice was next to your ear, lips brushing over your skin. “That wasn’t you.”

“No,” you argued, “it _was_ me. Without any inhibitions, without control. Just… just the animal. Just the monster. And… somewhere deep in the animal, I could hear you when you came. But I was so far gone. I just… I was scared, Tim. I kept seeing you and my family where the bodies were. Every person I killed…” your voice caught as you let a hand rest over his heart, felt it beating under your palm. “All of them had your face.”

Your worst fears realized by your own uncontrollable urges. Your family, your friends, Tim… all killed by your own hands. Over and over and over again. Your stomach churned, jaw clenching.

“Hey,” Tim said. He pulled back, cradled your head in his hands and brushed tears from your cheeks with his thumbs. “I’m here. I’m okay.”

“I hurt you.” A low whine rose in your chest as you brushed fingers over the bandages on his ribs and arm. You had done that. You had hurt him. “Tim, I… I hurt you.”

“I’m still here,” he told you, catching your hands and holding them tightly in his own. “I know you didn’t mean to. Whatever that toxin did… that wasn’t you. These will heal. I’m just… I’m so glad that I found you before anything worse happened. I… God, Areum. I was so fucking worried about you.”

His exhale was shaky, forehead pressed against yours and eyes squeezed shut. You could smell the fear on him, the worry. But he wasn’t scared of you. No, he was scared for you.

“Tim,” you whimpered, burying your face in the crook of his neck and scenting him. More than anything, you wanted him to wash over you, to smother all the visions you’d had of ripping his guts out, tearing his head off, eating his beating heart. He was here. He was here, and he wasn’t afraid of you, or what you had done. “You came for me.”

“Of course I did.” His breath hitched as your teeth scraped possessively over the warm skin of his throat, the junction where neck met shoulder. “I’ll always come for you.”

How foolish. How horrendously, terribly foolish of him. He’d seen you tear men apart, had been hurt by you. But he was still here, holding you, a longing in his voice that made you keen softly. This poor, kind boy had fallen for a monster like you, and you were terrified that he would pay the ultimate price for it. You felt his pulse beneath your lips, your jaw aching to close around it and mark him.

But you wouldn’t. That wasn’t who you were. You were better than your primal impulses.

Instead, you took a deep breath and slowly pulled yourself away from him. You could smell the boy up on the roof, a strange scent that made your nose wrinkle. There would be time to lose yourself in Tim later, when you had privacy. Wiping at your face with the sleeves of the sweatshirt they’d put on you, you took a deep, steadying breath. Now was not the time for weakness.

“You can tell your friend he can come back in,” you mumbled. “I’m good.”

Tim didn’t look convinced, but still walked towards the ladder.

“You’re good, Kon,” he yelled up.

Settling to sit crosslegged on the cot, you watched, wary, as the boy climbed back down. His smell was even more distinct as he came to stand next to Tim. Tall and corded with muscle, he was similar in build to Jason, but somehow carried himself in a way that made him seem even larger, dwarfing Tim. His blue eyes slowly looked you over, a crooked grin on his face.

“Areum, this is Conner Kent. Kon, this is Areum Kim,” Tim said.

“It’s a _pleasure_ to finally meet you,” Kon said, offering a hand for you to shake. "Can’t believe Tim’s been hiding you away.”

With an amused snort, you reached out and gave him a firm handshake.

“Nice to meet you too, Kent.” You looked him over as well, raising an eyebrow. “You smell weird.”

Tim failed to hold back a snorting laugh, slapping a hand over his mouth. To his credit, the other boy took it in stride, only looking amused.

“That’s probably the Kryptonian you’re picking up on,” Kon sighed.

That would explain why he smelled so wrong. He was a fucking alien. Tim, apparently, liked to collect oddities. You let out a soft hum, letting go of his hand and settling back on the cot again.

“I’m guessing that Tim called you in to help,” you said.

“Reluctantly, yeah,” Kon answered. “It’s more like I showed up and told him that I was gonna help, whether he liked it or not. If you haven’t noticed, he’s a little stubborn.”

“Oh, I’ve noticed,” you chuckled.

“Guys.” Tim frowned. “I’m right here.”

“As much as I would have liked to take care of this myself,” you continued, “I, for one, appreciate any help we can get. If the last few hours have proven anything, it’s that I can’t risk these people taking advantage of what I am.”

“Hey, no shame in asking for help when you need it, right?” Kon pointed out. He let himself float closer to you, settling into a crosslegged position as well. “Gotham’s fucked enough as it is, don’t need out of control werewolves running as well.”

“Honestly, no one should live in this city,” you mumbled. “Have you guys been able to find anything while I was out?”

“Not much,” Tim admitted, collapsing into his computer chair and wincing as it jostled his injured side. “My older brother and his partner were tracking some of the escapees from Arkham, but lost the trail. It doesn’t look like there were any other reported attacks by other wolves, though.”

So, that was what they had done with you. You’d been a distraction, a bigger threat for Tim and his family to deal with while their real plan took another step forward. Screams echoed in your head, the tang of blood at the back of your tongue. You shook your head with a low growl.

“I can get out there,” you ground out. “Try to pick up on the trail and hope it hasn’t been muted too much by the snow.”

“Are you… sure?” Tim asked, hesitant. “You could still be feeling the effects of the toxin. I don’t want you to push yourself.”

You rolled your eyes, waving off his concern. There was a point to his argument, you knew, considering that you still felt shaken, unsteady. But you couldn’t afford to keep sitting around feeling sorry for yourself. You motioned to Kon.

“Then the alien can come with me,” you countered. “If something goes wrong and I lose control again, he probably has the ability to restrain me. I can ask Hyunjin to help us, too. Go out with you.”

“Might be our best option,” Kon agreed. “I’m assuming this other guy is a wolf too, and two super sensitive noses are better than one. An old-fashioned approach may actually be better than trying to pick up a digital trail.”

Tim didn’t look entirely convinced. Fingers drumming against his desk, he frowned as he stared off into space.

“They’re covering their tracks as much as they can,” you said. “But there’s only so much that they can hide from a skilled predator. What could take you days to find by decrypting information could take me a manner of hours just by hunting on foot. Hyunjin is an even better tracker than me, and he’ll jump at the chance to help take these people down.”

Finally, Tim let out a heavy sigh.

“Fine,” he relented. “But if you do wind up finding either the triads or Crane, don’t engage. Let me know, and I can get a team together to infiltrate.”

“Don’t worry,” Kon said with a shit eating grin. “I’ll make sure to take good care of your girl, Timbo.”

Failing to bite back a laugh, you got up and stretched out your limbs.

“I don’t know where my phone ended up,” you said, “so I’ll have to go get Jin myself. You have any shoes I can borrow, Tim?”

“I have some boots, but they’ll probably be too big,” he said with a frown. “One of us should go with you.”

“I’ll be fine,” you told him, rolling your eyes. “I appreciate the concern, Tim, but it’s a short walk from here and I doubt anyone is going to try to snatch me in broad daylight.”

Tim heaved another sigh, pushing himself out of his chair and retrieving the boots for you. As you slipped your feet into them, he hovered, clearly wanting to say something but holding back. You glanced at Kon, who was watching with thinly veiled amusement, before turning back to Tim.

“I’ll be back in an hour, okay?” you told him, reaching up and tugging him down so you could press a quick kiss to the corner of his mouth. “Try not to get yourself too worked up, yeah?”

Grinning at his stunned expression and flushed cheeks, you gave Kon a little wave before heading up the ladder and trudging your way through the snow to Cheoljin’s apartment.

\---

“You smell like that Drake kid,” Hyunjin said, upon opening the door and seeing you.

“Hello to you, too,” you snorted, pushing past him and into the apartment. “Is Cheol here?”

“No, he went to cover some classes for Jinwoo and Dad,” he replied, shutting the door behind you and frowning. “You okay?”

“Not really,” you admitted. There was no point in lying to him. Your twin was going to find out one way or another about the incident at Arkham. “I may or may not have offered myself up to Shin in your place and gotten dosed with that gas by the Ghost Dragons.”

Hyunjin blinked, visibly confused. However, it quickly melted into fury.

“What the fuck?” he spat. “You _promised_ me that you wouldn’t do anything stupid, Areum. I’m pretty sure that getting involved in a gang dispute in my place constitutes as stupid.”

“Well I wasn’t just going to let that asshole sell you out, Jin,” you argued.

“Christ,” he grumbled, running a hand over his face. “Seriously, for someone so smart you sure do some stupid shit. Did you get hurt?”

You shrugged.

“Nothing that won’t heal over the next few hours,” you told him, throwing yourself into a beat up old armchair. “Look, I didn’t come over here for you to lecture me about how dumb I am. I need your help.”

Hyunjin gave you a sour look, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Seriously?” he growled.

“Seriously.” You gave him an apologetic smile, tucking your legs under you. “I know you’re pissed at me, and you can yell at me all you want later. But I need your help tracking down the people who have been messing with our family.”

“It’s not just you that I’m helping though,” he said.

“… No,” you admitted. “I’m working with Tim Drake and another kid named Conner Kent.”

“God, Areum.” He threw back his head with a groan. “Now you’re working with fucking vigilantes? Not just any vigilantes, but one of the Bat kids and his pal. Do you know what the gang’ll do to me if they find out that I was working with one of the Bats?”

“Fuck the gang,” you said. “You’re better than them. And, quite frankly, I’m pretty sure they’ve all but thrown you out, Jinnie. Shin was gonna give you up to a rival gang. Tim’s been doing more to help our family than any of your little friends in the Dragon’s Claw. I trust him, so you can trust him, too.”

“I don’t like this,” Hyunjin said, pacing back and forth in front of you. A low growl was building in his chest. “Any of this.”

“Neither do I,” you told him. “So just help me out here, okay? I’ll owe you.”

“If this turns out to be one of your stupid schemes to try to redeem me, I’m gonna kick your ass,” he told you. “Seriously. I will beat the shit out of you.”

“It’s not, promise.” You held up your hands. “… Plus, you know that I always win whenever we fight.”

“Fuck you.” Hyunjin finally stopped pacing, glaring down at you. “… Let me go find my coat.”

Jumping up, you rushed forward and hugged him before he could shove you away. He grumbled as he reluctantly hugged you back before pushing you off him.

“You’re the best, Jinnie,” you called out after him.

“I hate it when you do the puppy eyes,” he shouted back, stomping off to the guest room. “You know I can’t say no to them.”

Chuckling to yourself, you retrieved one of Cheoljin’s spare coats and slipped it on to keep you a little warmer on the walk back. When Hyunjin emerged, he tossed some of his own clothes at you.

“Change when we get wherever you’re taking me,” he snarled, “it’s pissing me off smelling that kid on you.”

“Whatever makes you happy,” you hummed, stepping out and letting him lock the door before you lead him back towards Tim’s hideout.

You only hoped that Hyunjin wouldn’t make too much of an ass out of himself.

\---

Of course, things could never be that easy. Upon descending the ladder and helping Hyunjin down, your twin brother immediately glared at Tim with a low snarl. You rolled your eyes and smacked him in the chest.

“Stop it,” you said. “God, I wish you’d learn to behave.”

Hyunjin only growled, shifting to stand closer to you. Tim had changed while you were gone, shoving his hands in the pockets of his coat and looking incredibly uncertain about your plan. Kon, on the other hand, looked delighted.

“Hyunjin, you’ve already met Tim Drake. The other guy is Conner Kent.” You gestured to the smirking boy, who gave a tiny wave. “Kent, this is my twin brother, Hyunjin.”

“Nice to meet you, man,” Kon said. “Appreciate you agreeing to help us.”

Hyunjin just grunted.

“I’m gonna change real quick,” you told your twin, jabbing him in the side with your elbow. “Try not to be too much of an asshole while I’m gone.”

“No promises,” he grumbled, glaring down the two other boys.

You just rolled your eyes, shuffling into the bathroom. Although you’d changed as quickly as you could, rolling up the cuffs of the jeans and shirt Hyunjin had given you, the tension in the room had only gotten worse by the time you emerged. Tossing Tim’s clothes on the cot, you cleared your throat to draw their attention back to you.

“So, Tim,” you said, shooting a glare at your brother. “Tell us what your plan is.”

“Uh, right.” Tim stepped closer to you, either not hearing or choosing to ignore the ugly snarl that Hyunjin let out. “We’ll split up into teams of two. Areum and Kon, you guys will pick up where Dick and his partner lost the trail last night, in East End. I’ll take Hyunjin to Chinatown and see if there’s any trace of them there, or anything else we can find. The wolves will stay in human form, just to be safe. I know you can pick up scents better as wolves, but we don’t want to draw too much unnecessary attention.”

“I also don’t know if I could retrigger any of the toxin that’s still in my bloodstream if I shift,” you added. “But we should both still be able to pick up on anything suspicious in these skins, too.”

Hyunjin started to open his mouth to complain, but you shot him a glare and shook your head. Wisely, he kept his mouth shut.

“Since you lost your phone, you can take one of my burners,” Tim said, handing you a slim new WayneTech phone that was much nicer than your old one. “We’ll check in with each other every half hour, stay updated on the progress we make. None of us will engage if we do find Crane or the Ghost Dragons. We’ll make a note of the location, I’ll plant a few trackers if I find it, and we’ll regroup so that I can put together a strike team.”

“We’ll need to watch our step in Chinatown,” Hyunjin said, shoulders slumped and hands shoved in his pockets. “Always a chance some triad will recognize me.”

“Just keep your hood up and your head down,” Tim said. “If we do run into trouble, we’ll figure it out. But I trust you’ll be careful and discreet.”

Hyunjin snorted, but didn’t disagree.

“Well, now that we’re all looped into the plan, lets get out there,” Kon said, grinning. “No time to waste, right?”

With a murmur of agreement, you all began to head out. However, Tim grabbed your sleeve before you went up the ladder. Kon and Hyunjin had already headed up to the roof, but you lingered. His brow was furrowed, his fingers slipping down to lace with your own.

“Be careful, okay?” he said, voice low. “If you need to head back, I can have Hyunjin pick back up on any trail you find. Don’t push yourself.”

“I’ll be fine,” you said, trying to convince yourself of it as well. You gave his hand a small squeeze. “You need to stop worrying, Tim.”

Making a noncommittal sound, he bent down to give you a quick kiss before letting you go. Smiling, you headed up the ladder, Tim not far behind you. Hyunjin gave you a small frown, but you ignored him. He had always been overprotective, but you trusted he’d back off with a bit of time. Kon slung an arm around your shoulders, giving you a friendly squeeze.

“Ready to head out?” he asked.

You nodded, pausing long enough to give Tim and your brother a small wave before you let Kon help you down the fire escape. Pulling up the hood on the jacket you’d stolen, you made your way to the subway, Kon trailing along just a step behind you. Awkward silence stretched between you as you made your way into the station, letting him move ahead of you to shoulder people out of the way. Once you’d taken a seat and he was standing in front of you, holding onto the handrail, you finally broke the silence.

“How long have you and Tim known each other?” you asked.

“About seven years now, I think,” Kon said. “He was one of the first people I met after I escaped the lab.”

“The lab?” you questioned.

“Yep. I’ve got the great luck of being a clone of the one and only Superman, mixed with a bit of human DNA,” he explained. “I was pretty angry and out of control, at first.”

“Oh.” You blinked. That explained the kryptonian bit, then. “I’m sorry.”

“Why are you sorry?” he asked with a wry grin. “It just is what it is. Yeah, shit sucked for a while, but it got better.”

“Yeah, but it still must have been a shitty situation to be in,” you said with a shrug. “Even if you’re doing better now, I’m still sorry that you were born into something terrible.”

“Ah, it’s fine.” He sighed. “I made my peace with it. Took a while, but Tim helped out a lot. He’s a great guy, y’know. When I had a meltdown, he always tried to be there to help me through it. Probably wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for him.”

“I’m glad he was there for you.”

“Yeah, well, that’s what best friends do, right? They help each other through the good and the bad.” Kon shifted a bit as the train came to a stop, adjusting his grip. “Like now. Even if I do have to fight with him, I try to help him when I can.”

“I appreciate your help, too,” you said.

“I’m always glad to help out a pretty girl in need,” he told you with a cheeky grin.

You snorted, quirking an eyebrow.

“Right,” you said. “You always flirt with everyone you meet?”

“Absolutely.” Kon laughed. “If your brother didn’t look like he was ready to rip out someone’s throat, he’d be getting the same treatment.”

You decided, then, that you liked Conner Kent. You laughed along with him, nudging his shin with your foot.

“I think you’ll find that my sweet twin brother is always ready to rip out someone’s throat,” you told him, “but you should still shoot your shot.”

“Mhm,” he hummed, nudging your leg back. “I’ll keep my throat intact, thanks.”

“Coward,” you pouted. “I was under the impression that you were fun.”

“Wow, are you accusing me of being boring?” Kon put a hand to his chest, feigning hurt. “That cuts to the bone.”

“Somehow, I think you’ll survive,” you sniggered.

Both of you grinned at each other, the silence that followed much more comfortable. When you got to your stop, you let Kon lead the way. He’d taken his phone out of his pocket, consulting the screen before glancing back at you.

“You know where Woody’s is? Apparently the trail stopped a few blocks away from it,” he said.

“Yeah, I know where it’s at.” You shoved your hands in your pockets and motioned with your head for him to follow you. “Not far from this stop. Stick close.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he chuckled.

Rolling your eyes, you took a deep breath, trying to isolate the smells around you. People milled past you on the street, parting around you as you stalked towards Woody’s. You could smell the distinctly alien musk of Conner just behind you, the milling prey scent of the humans around you. Sweat, vomit, blood. The heavy smog that hung everywhere in Gotham. Nose twitching, you turned a corner, something familiar catching your attention. It was fading, but still there. A slight chemical tang, mixed with human male.

Scarecrow.

You threw a hand back, smacking Kon in the chest and making him grunt. Nostrils flaring again, you paced in a small circle before latching onto the scent.

“Got the trail,” you told him.

“Shit,” he said, pulling his phone back out to text Tim. “You are good.”

Not bothering to respond, you slowly began to follow the trail you’d picked up on. It was so faint, you weren’t surprised Tim’s brother had lost it. With each step you took, you had to scent again to pick it back up. The snow was helping to mask it, and when you tried to see if there were any familiar footprints, you realized that the foot traffic on the street was heavy enough to turn the crisp snow into dirty, messy slush. The trail led you off the beaten path, crossed towards the river and began to fade.

“Fuck,” you snarled, crouching and scenting the air in an attempt to pick back up on it.

It was faint, but you got it again, forgetting yourself for a moment and moving forward on your hands and knees. It was only when you heard a stifled laugh that you stood back up, shooting a nasty look at Kon before following the trail. He fell quiet again once you were moving, walking along the banks of the frozen river until you reached the bridge heading towards the Bowery. Pausing every so often to pick it back up, you made your way across the bridge, navigating the filthy streets. Kon started to walk a little closer to you, nudging you to move so that you wouldn’t slam into the people that you passed. You focused on the scent, the trail slowly beginning to become clearer as you walked. Before you knew it, you had crossed into Butcher’s Block, your skin prickling at the stench in the air.

The scent was clearer now. Fresher. Slowing down, you lifted your head, looked at your surroundings. Drug dens and abandoned buildings stretched out in front of you. Looking back down at the ground, you nudged at a discarded beer can with your toe.

“They’re close,” you told Kon under your breath. “I’m picking up a fresh scent, recent.”

He put a hand on your shoulder, pulling you back and off the street.

“Can you pinpoint it?” he asked, voice low.

“I’d have to approach the actual spot to know,” you answered. “But it’s one of the buildings around here. I… wait.”

Closing your eyes, you scented the air again and froze. The chemical smell was overwhelming Crane’s scent. Your limbs locked when you picked it up, phantom weight of chains heavy around your body and your lungs seizing. You could feel your heart racing, fear spreading like ice in your veins. That was what they’d dosed you with. You were certain. You would have recognized that smell anywhere. Eyes snapping open, you pointed to a rundown building just down the street, the windows shuttered.

“There,” you choked out. “I can smell the gas. They’re there.”

“Good job.” Kon leaned closer and gave you a half hug as he pulled out his phone to snap a picture of the building. “I’m sending the info to Tim. We’ll regroup at his hideout, share info and let him get his team together.”

You fell silent as he called Tim, voice low. The world seemed to fade around you, your feet rooted to the spot. Nose full of the smell of rot and decay, you found it hard to breathe. Vison going fuzzy, you struggled to calm your pounding heart. When you blinked to try to clear your sight, all you could see was blood and limbs, moon shining heavy in a starless sky, your own hands mutated into monstrous paws. The weight of Conner’s hand on your shoulder snapped you out of it, his expression concerned when you looked up at him.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

No, you weren’t. The smell of the toxin was still overwhelming, and you were taking shallow, panicked breaths. It was hard to distinguish between reality and nightmare, his touch suddenly feeling too heavy. You shrugged off his hand, shook your head in an attempt to clear it.

“Fine,” you bit out. “Just tired.”

Kon gave you a look that said he didn’t believe you, but he also didn’t push it.

“Let’s get out of here,” he said. “Tim said they’re heading back now.”

“Okay.” You gave a small nod and let Kon lead you back towards the Bowery and the closest subway station, his hand resting on your back.

Each step away from the building you’d pointed out helped you clear your head, the smell fading away. You tried to focus on the smell of snow, fresh baked bread as you passed a bakery, the crisp scent of flowers when you lingered for a moment near a florist. By the time you reached the station, you were shaken but much more present, the nightmares fading away. Kon guided you to sit, towering over you for the entirety of the ride back. You’d slipped your hand into your pocket, the cool surface and slight weight of the phone there grounding you.

The walk back to the hideout was quiet, Kon giving you the space and silence you needed to center yourself again. By the time you’d slipped down the ladder, you were feeling much calmer.

Unfortunately, Hyunjin was already there and immediately scented the fear on you, his eyes narrowing. Before Tim or Kon could say anything, he was taking your face in his hands, glaring down at you.

“What happened?” he demanded.

“Nothing,” you mumbled, trying to jerk away. He only held on tighter. “Jin, let go.”

“She got a little freaked out by the smell of the gas,” Kon said from behind you. _Traitor_. “But otherwise, she’s fine. Totally uneventful, no one approached us or even took note of us.”

“I’m _fine_ ,” you snapped, shoving Hyunjin in the chest and taking a step back with a low growl. “Back off.”

A wounded look flashed across your twin’s face before he took a step back. You almost felt bad, but reminded yourself that you were allowed to be annoyed by how overbearing he was. Tim glanced between you and your brother before clearing his throat and taking a small step towards you.

“I, uh, called a few people to help us out,” Tim said. “They’re gonna go with me and Kon to hit the building that you found, Areum. Your brother was able to pick up on the trails of a couple of potentially missing kids. Once we get back, we thought we would take him with us to see if we can free them.”

“What about me?” you asked.

“I was hoping you could stay here and provide support,” he said. “If just being near the gas triggered you, then it’s not safe for you to come with us.”

Your first reaction was to snap at him. You were the one who’d spotted the prey. You were the one who had led the hunt to this point. Leaving you behind was _bullshit_. But logic eventually won over. Tim wasn’t trying to exclude you, he was trying to keep you safe. As frustrating as it was, if you did go and have another freak out, it would put everyone else in danger. Scowling, you heaved a sigh.

“Fine,” you grumbled. “Just tell me what I need to do.”

Tim looked relieved, and you realized with a sinking feeling that he’d expected you to fight him on it. He took another step towards you, glancing at your brother before he reached out and laid a hand on your arm.

“I’ll show you how to work some of the programs,” he told you. “Kon, you mind running Hyunjin through some of our combat maneuvers?”

“I know how to fight,” Hyunjin snapped.

“I’m aware of that,” Tim said slowly, “but when you’re fighting with a group of people, it helps to know some of our hand signals and basic formations.”

“And hey, we can throw each other around a bit and let you take out some of your frustration on me,” Kon added with a sly grin, gently punching your brother’s shoulder. “It’ll be fun.”

Hyunjin didn’t look convinced, but grudgingly let Kon lead him up to the roof. When Kon looked back over his shoulder and gave you a wink, you had to stifle your laughter. Once the hatch to the roof had closed, Tim heaved an enormous sigh, slumping forward and resting his forehead on your shoulder.

“Wow,” you said, reaching up to pat his head, “that bad, huh?”

“Your brother _hates_ me,” he mumbled. “I swear he was thinking about disemboweling me the whole time we were searching.”

“He’s just an asshole,” you told him. “And way too overprotective. Give him some time, he’ll come around. He’s a big baby.”

“He barely even talked to me,” Tim complained, raising his head. “He would either just grunt at me, or communicate in single word sentences.”

“Like I said, asshole. Now, are you gonna show me those programs or not?”

“Right.” Tim moved to the computer, letting you sit down in the chair before he leaned over you, reaching forward to open several programs. “How familiar are you with computers?”

“I’m not a genius, by any means,” you told him, “but I took a few computer science classes.”

“You shouldn’t have a problem, then,” he grinned, resting one hand on the back of the chair while he motioned to the screens. “I’ll only have you use a couple of the programs I’ve developed. One of them shows you a live feed from cameras in my mask, as well as any other feed I decide to hook up to stream. I’ll put one on Kon, your brother, Dick’s partner, and hook Dick’s mask and Jason’s helmet up to the feed. They all show in a grid, but you can click any of them and have it expand.”

Although you were trying to pay attention while he navigated the program, showing you its functions, it was hard to when you could feel his breath fanning against your skin. You were far too aware of just how close he was, how easy it would be to pull him down to you. Forcing yourself to pay attention to his words instead of the steady thrum of his heart, you curled your hands into fists in your lap. Tim explained the second program, which was tuned in to police frequencies. He typed in a few quick lines of code so it would only alert you about anything in the immediate vicinity of the area they were raiding.

“That’s it,” he said, standing up straight and grinning down at you. “Got it?”

“Yes,” you said. Honestly, it seemed simple enough. “How will I be talking to you?”

“Headset,” he told you, tapping an earpiece next to the mouse. “I’ll sync up everyone to the same voice channel. We’ll set codenames for everyone, just to be safe. Even though the feed is heavily encrypted, it’s best practice. You see anything, you just tell us.”

There was a heavy thud above you, both you and Tim glancing up and falling quiet. There was another, heavier thud and you let out a heavy sigh.

“At least Kon’s helping him get some of that aggression out,” you grumbled.

“I just hope they don’t hurt each other,” he sighed.

“Oh, Hyunjin will almost certainly hurt Kon,” you told him, leaning back in the chair, “but probably not badly.”

There was a muffled yelp and you grinned.

“See?”

“Your family is terrifying,” Tim said, but he was trying not to smile.

“Oh, you haven’t even met Jinwoo’s wife yet,” you countered. “She can turn any conversation into a three-hour gossip session. Hyunjin has nothing on her.”

Laughing out loud, Tim braced his hand on the desk. When he looked down at you, his expression turned heart-achingly tender.

“Thank you,” he said.

“For what?”

“For agreeing to stay back.” Tim shook his head. “I don’t want to put you so directly in danger again. Not when you’re still recovering from what they did to you.”

“I won’t lie, I’m not happy about staying back,” you admitted. “But I know that you’re only trying to keep me and everyone else from being in danger. I’ll do my best to support you from here.”

“I know that you’ll have our backs.” Tim paused for a moment before leaning down, free hand cupping your jaw. “You… you know that you’re important to me, right?”

“I know,” you whispered, leaning into his touch and letting your eyes slip closed. “I hope you know that you’re important to me, too.”

Tim didn’t say anything. Instead, he pressed his lips to yours in a desperate kiss. You felt your breath leave your lungs, hands coming up to clutch at the front of his shirt. His teeth dragged over your bottom lip before he broke away, pressing his forehead to yours. Still dazed, you slowly opened your eyes to meet his gaze. He took a deep breath, started to open his mouth to say something.

But he was cut off when the hatch to the roof slammed open. Tim jumped away from you, startled. Wide eyed, you remained frozen where you were, hands still lifted in the air. Tamping down your frustration, you spun the chair around to watch Kon, Hyunjin, and Jason come down, followed by two people you didn’t recognize. One was a man, shorter than Jason but taller than Tim, and he was probably one of the most handsome men you had ever seen. His dark hair fell in gentle waves over dark blue eyes, tan skin freckled. His face had laugh lines, an easy smile growing when he spotted you. A small woman stood next to him, the smell of her almost making you shrink into your chair. She smelled Other, of something beyond your limited scope of knowledge. Her skin was pale, hair dyed a pale blond with dark roots peeking through, eyes an eerie gold with slit pupils. Unlike the man, her face seemed set in a permanent expression of disapproval.

“Hey Timbo,” the man said, coming forward to clap him on the shoulder. “Good to see you.”

“You too,” Tim said, clearing his throat when his voice broke. He turned to you. “Areum, this is my brother, Dick, and his partner, Koshka.”

“It’s nice to finally meet you,” Dick said, his smile kind. “Tim talks about you a lot.”

You stood to shake his hand, flinching a bit when the woman, Koshka, approached you. Instinctively, you lowered your gaze as she shook your hand as well.

“Yes,” she said, voice melodic and heavily accented, “it’s nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” you mumbled, glancing up and finding that her expression was amused.

“Alright,” Tim said, drawing the attention back to himself. “Let’s all get suited up so we can get moving.”

Turning around to look at the monitors, you busied yourself with getting familiar with the programs you would be using while they all shed clothes and finished putting on their uniforms. Kon didn’t bother, simply letting Tim hook up a few tiny cameras to his clothes. Hyunjin stripped, unaware of the discomfort that swept the room before he shifted, shaking out his fur. Tim put the bandana he’d hooked up around his neck, quickly backing away once he’d tied it securely in case your brother snapped at him. Jason, helmet tucked under his arm, laughed when he spotted Hyunjin.

“Holy shit,” he said, “he looks just like you, Areum!”

“We are twins,” you pointed out, grinning back at him. “He’s bigger than me, though.”

“He’s massive,” Dick said, and you realized with a start when you turned to look at him that _holy shit, he was Nightwing._ “Did you go over hand signals with him?”

“Yep,” Kon piped up. “He’s a fast learner, no need to worry.”

Koshka let out a soft hum, crouching down and stretching her hand out to him. She’d simply changed into black clothes, her shirt cut to expose her lower back. Ears pressing back, Hyunjin watched her warily before finally moving closer and letting her give him a scratch behind the ears. You had absolutely no idea what the woman was, but you were sure that Hyunjin was having the same visceral reaction you had had to her scent.

One by one, the feeds on the screen flicked on, giving you different views of the room. Tim slipped on his mask, looking over the feeds before giving a satisfied nod.

“Okay,” he said. “Before we head out, let’s all make sure we remember codenames over the radio, since we’ll be around hostiles. I’m Red Robin, Dick is Nightwing, Jason is Red Hood, Kon is Superboy, Koshka is Siren, and Hyunjin will be Wolf.”

“Got it,” you said with a small nod. You picked up the earpiece, slipping it on and noting each name on the screen, minus Hyunjin’s, which held your own name. “Time for you to head out?”

“Time for us to head out,” he confirmed, his smile grim. “Thanks again.”

“No problem,” you told him, watching them leave one by one. Kon picked up your brother, ignoring his half-hearted growl as he carried him up to the roof. “Tim?”

“Yeah?” He paused, turned back to look at you.

“Be careful,” you said, “because I’ll kick your ass if you come back here injured.”

“Noted,” he said with a small chuckle. “See you.”

“See you.”

You watched him until he was out of sight. Taking a deep breath, you closed your eyes and centered yourself. Hyunjin was an even better hunter than you were, and knew how to take care of himself. The rest of them were all skilled vigilantes, and Koshka was clearly something that shouldn’t be fucked with. It would be fine. You just had to believe that.

Turning back to the computer, you flicked on your earpiece and watched them all make their way to confront Crane.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a few notes about this chapter:
> 
> a) areum is much more of a reluctant monster, and i wanted that to reflect here. unlike koshka, who embraces it, she's a bit more kind natured and finding pleasure from killing and mauling people is, understandably, pretty upsetting to her
> 
> b) i originally had a section in here from hyunjin's pov but it was basically just him being mad bc he thinks tim is dicking down his little sister and he is Overprotective (TM), but this chapter was already bloated enough, so i cut it
> 
> c) tim has a type, and that is chaotic bastards. of course areum and kon are now bff's. 
> 
> d) yes koshka will be kicking ass in the next chapter. this is my self indulgent fic and i do as i please.
> 
> sorry it took me a while to get this one out, it just took me a while to get the motivation back to write. thank you guys as always for reading. i love y'all. stay safe, and be kind to yourselves


	13. Kick It!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> chapter warnings: mild violence, death mention
> 
> _you're so twisted baby  
>  you just gotta watch_

They arrived in waves. First was Kon and Hyunjin, your twin’s growl audible through the mic on his bandana. Then Jason and Koshka, pulling up a few blocks away on his motorcycle. Dick and Tim arrived last, each landing on a rooftop across from the building. Monitoring the cameras hooked up to each of them, you listened to the quiet chatter between them.

“Any movements on your end, ‘Wing?” Jason asked, voice barely a whisper but still coming through loud and clear.

“Couple guys near the front, handful at the back entrance. Two people on the second floor,” Dick answered.

Flipping through the camera feeds, you realized that you could see the heat signatures that he was looking at through his visor.

“Huh,” you mumbled to yourself. “Neat.”

“Cameras and radios all working properly, Areum?” Tim asked you, his own visor switching over to thermal vision.

“Uh, yeah.” You doublechecked just to make sure. “Everything seems to be working, Ti—Red Robin.”

Someone let out an amused snort over the radio, although you couldn’t tell who it was. With a low growl, you sank further into the chair and focused on watching their feeds. Not your fault that you’d never been in on vigilante action before then.

“Okay,” Tim said. “Superboy, you breach from the back with Wolf. Nightwing and I will take care of the roof and second floor. Red Hood and Siren, you breach from the front.”

You watched Jason’s feed as he pulled pistols from his thigh holsters, flicking off the safety with a dark laugh.

“Roger that, Red Robin. Ready to bring the hurt, Siren?” he asked.

Koshka let out a soft, melodic hum that sent a chill down your spine. Whatever she was, you suspected you were going to find out sooner rather than later. The two of them moved first, Jason kicking in the front door and tossing down a smoke bomb in the faces of two surprised henchmen. Before they could raise the alarm, Koshka was moving. Faster than should be possible, she’d wrapped some kind of scaled prehensile limbs around their necks, slithering up far enough to cover their mouths as well. Just like that, they were down, her limbs retreating as the men crumbled to the ground.

“Man, I hate when you do that,” Jason grumbled. “Let me have any extra guys, yeah?”

“I’ll consider it,” Koshka said, cruel amusement in her tone. “Superboy?”

“Moving now,” he grunted.

You shifted your attention to Kon’s feed, watching as he dropped down at least seven stories from his perch, asphalt cracking with the impact of his landing. Releasing your brother, he launched himself forward, slamming one guard’s head against the wall so hard you could hear the brick cracking. Hyunjin launched himself at another who had begun to draw his gun, jaws closing around the man’s throat. You could hear wet, gurgling attempts at screams as your twin tore his throat out, blood splattering on the wall and ground. Kon grabbed the two remaining men, cracking their heads together and letting them fall in a heap. Hyunjin finally released his prey, low growl still rumbling in his chest. Through the camera’s on Kon’s clothes, you could see the dark blood on your twin’s muzzle, his sharp teeth flashing.

“Back’s clear,” Kon said, giving your brother a pat on the head and ignoring the answering snarl. “Good boy.”

“Front is breached,” Jason responded, hunched low as he and Koshka moved further into the building. “First floor is clear.”

“Copy,” Dick said. “You take the left and I’ll take the right, Red Robin?”

“Copy,” Tim replied.

Both of them launched themselves through windows on the second floor, Tim skidding to a stop and Dick doing a fluid roll before using the momentum to stand up and draw two escrima sticks from their holsters on his back. Neither of the men were Crane, you realized with slow sinking disappointment. Tim moved first, unfolding his bo staff and sweeping the feet of the man closest to him. Dick moved as well, throwing his escrima with deadly accuracy to hit the other man in the temple. As he stumbled, Dick cartwheeled forward, heel connecting hard with the back of his target’s head. Tim had his opponent in a sleeper hold, releasing him only when he went limp. With all hostiles down, you let out a breath you hadn’t realized you’d been holding.

“All visible hostiles down,” you announced, flipping through the various feeds to make sure you couldn’t see any hostiles who hadn’t been marked yet. “But no sign of Scarecrow.”

“Shit,” Jason growled, holstering his guns. “Someone must have spotted the girl and Superboy, tipped him off.”

“Not a total loss,” Dick chimed in. You watched through his mask feed as he picked up a handful of vials. “Looks like we just took the production facility.”

“Heads up,” you told them, frowning at the police scanner. “Looks like there are units heading your way.”

“Copy,” Tim sighed, folding his staff and tucking it back into his belt. “I’ll grab a few vials for synthesis. Hood, Siren, think you can take out some of the machinery down there?”

“Already on it,” Koshka said, slicing through wiring with her claws.

Jason fired a few rounds into monitors and computer towers for good measure with a dark chuckle. Kon picked up Hyunjin, launching himself onto the roof of a neighboring building. Dick had already flipped his way outside, landing in a crouch to wait for Jason and Koshka to exit. Tim shoved as many vials as he could fit into the pouches of his belt, climbing out the window and scaling his way up to the roof.

“What’s the game plan?” you asked, sitting back and letting out a heavy sigh.

“Focus on seeing if any of the missing kids’ scents that Wolf picked up are still there,” Tim said. “Me, Superboy, and Wolf will hit the spots to see if we can free any of them. Everyone else can continue their patrols as usual, keeping an eye out for Crane.”

“Roger that,” Jason said. “’Wing, you stayin’ for the rest of the night?”

“Might as well,” Dick sighed. When Jason and Koshka emerged, he reached for his partner, her fingers lacing with his with such easy affection that it made your heart ache. “Babe, see you at home?”

“Of course,” Koshka hummed, reaching up to brush hair back from his face. “Don’t stay out too late.”

“I won’t.” You could see his brilliant smile through Koshka’s feed, quietly clicking both their feeds off.

Jason made a soft gagging noise, followed by a rumbling laugh when you saw Koshka smack his arm. You clicked off his feed as well, let them have the rest of the night to themselves. Only Tim, Kon, and Hyunjin’s feeds remained, the other three removing themselves from the comms.

“Want us to just follow you?” Kon asked, adjusting his grip on Hyunjin, whose head you could see at the edge of one of Kon’s feeds, his ears flat against his head. “Get to the edge of one of the places you found earlier and let the wolf do his thing again?”

“Sounds like a plan.” Tim grappled to the roof Kon was on, launching himself into the air and letting his cape expand so he could glide back towards Chinatown. “Think you can keep up?”

“Oh, that a challenge, bird brain?” Kon laughed, launching himself off the roof in a huge bound, passing Tim with a loud whoop before bounding off the next building. “Loser buys the winner a six-pack.”

The boys soared through Gotham, laughter ringing in the comms, cut only by Hyunjin’s annoyed snarling. Grinning, you sat back and watched. It was nice to see Tim interact with people other than you, see them open up sides of him that you hadn’t seen before. This playful side was endlessly appealing, his carefree laughter echoing in your ear as he flipped through the air with practiced ease.

But it all came to an end far too soon. The lighthearted atmosphere vanished once they arrived in Chinatown, landing in a dark alley. Kon set your brother down gently, letting out a snort when Hyunjin snapped at his hand. Still growling, Hyunjin shook out his fur and pawed at his snout before he lowered his nose to the ground and began to scent.

“Got anything?” Kon asked him, crouching next to him.

Hyunjin let out a snort, but you could see his ears prick up through Kon’s feed. Without pausing for either of them, your twin took off, trotting through the shadows of Chinatown. Kon kept up easily, but Tim stumbled a few times, even with his night vision switched on. After he nearly faceplanted for the fourth time, you spoke into the comms.

“Another bottle just a few feet in front of you, Red Robin,” you said with a grin. “Try not to trip over that one like you have with the past fifteen.”

Laughing heartily, you could see Kon glance back at Tim with a smug grin.

“Aww,” he said, “baby bird learning how to use his legs again?”

“Shut up,” Tim grumbled, taking out his grapple and hopping from roof to roof instead.

“Want me to keep you updated on where Wolf and Superboy are, since you decided to take to the air again?” you asked him.

“I think I can manage,” he ground out.

Satisfied for the moment, you turned back to the police scanner, keeping an eye on any patrols that could be in the area. Chinatown seemed to be devoid of any police activity, and although that didn’t necessarily strike you as uncommon for the area, it was strange enough for you to speak up.

“Hey guys,” you said. “Just a heads up, looks like there’s zero police presence in Chinatown right now. Is that normal?”

Tim paused, crouched on the edge of a seedy apartment building and glancing down at your brother. Kon glanced up at him. Although you couldn’t see their expressions with their suit cameras so far apart from each other, the silence spoke volumes.

“Not really,” Tim finally said. “You’re sure that’s what the scanner’s showing?”

Leaning over to squint at the screen, you carefully looked it over a second time before giving a small grunt of assent.

“Yeah,” you told him. “I’m sure.”

Hyunjin suddenly stopped, his body language quickly changing into one of aggression. You let out a warning growl into the comms as well, catching movement in the shadows around Kon and your twin. Gunfire thundered in the earpiece, making you wince. The camera feeds were a chaotic blur, the clarity with which you had been able to view their surroundings suddenly an abstract mess. You hunched forward, tried to make some sense of the images flashing across the screen. Kon seemed to have thrown himself over your twin, black fur obscuring the camera that had been affixed to his chest. Heavy breathing came through the comms, and you frantically tried to make sense of the feed from Tim’s mask.

“Red? Superboy?” you queried, not bothering to hide the desperation in your voice. “I can’t tell what’s going on.”

“Stand by,” Kon ground out, pain audible in his voice.

Oh gods, was he bulletproof like Superman? Or had he just gotten himself shot for your brother? Tim’s silence also seemed deafening, the only sign that he was alive his quick, pained gasps for breath. You stood, cursing in a frustrated mix of English and Korean before retrieving your coat.

“Fuck this,” you growled. “I’m heading to help—”

“Stay where you are,” Tim gasped into the comms.

“Red,” you started, growl in your voice. “I can’t just sit by and—”

“I’m not risking you getting shot and killed,” he interrupted. When you glanced back at the feeds, you could see that his mask cam was pointed towards the sky, the waning moon. “We’ve all been shot at before. We’ll all get out of this.”

There was another burst of gunfire, Kon’s feed lurching as he picked up your brother and threw himself behind cover. You watched as Tim glanced briefly above his own cover, giving you a look at the gunmen. Sitting back down and tossing your coat aside, you took a deep breath before speaking again.

“Three hostiles,” you told them, voice tight. “Looked like automatic weapons.”

“Wolf isn’t injured,” Kon told you, voice low. “Just really pissed off.”

“Thank you,” you breathed.

“Superboy,” Tim said, edge to his voice. “You good to advance?”

“Yeah.”

“Good.”

Popping out of cover long enough to toss a smoke grenade, Tim quickly ducked back down. Once it went off, Superboy moved, a snarl escaping him as he slammed his shoulder into the gut of the first gunman, then shoved his head hard into the asphalt. Tim leaped out, taking advantage of the confusion and launching himself at the gunman on the far right. Wrenching the gun from the man’s hands, he slammed the butt of it hard into his temple as Kon smashed the last guy’s gun into pieces and threw him hard into a wall.

“Clear,” Tim breathed, hissing in pain as he stood.

“Injuries?” Kon asked, voice clipped.

“Body armor held up, but it still hurts like hell. Wounds on my side feel like they opened back up.”

You winced, heart stinging in guilt. _You’d done that to him_. Trying to stay focused on the feeds, you breathed a sigh of relief when Hyunjin slunk back out of his hiding spot, uninjured but clearly unhappy. His tail was tucked between his legs as he sniffed at the unconscious men, lips curling back from his teeth with a low growl.

“We pressing on?” Kon asked.

“Of course,” Tim growled, even though you could see him clutching at his side from Kon’s feed.

“Don’t push yourself,” you chimed in. “If you have to recover and come back tomorrow—”

“Tonight is our best shot,” Tim interrupted. “Tomorrow they’ll move the kids.”

“They were expecting us.” Kon let out a heavy sigh, shaking his head. “If we don’t move now, we won’t be able to move again for a while. I gotta agree with Red. Tonight’s our best shot.”

“Wolf?” Tim asked, glancing down at your twin.

Hyunjin growled, ears flicking back in annoyance before he clambered over the fallen men and continued down the back street. With a shrug, Kon trailed after him, Tim returning to the rooftops to follow. You watched them, pit in your stomach growing until it was a yawning chasm. Something clearly wasn’t right, and all of you could feel it. It was there in the frustrated little huffs Tim let out, the hard set of Kon’s shoulders, the way your brother’s ears twitched.

Finally, Hyunjin stopped in front of an old brothel, years abandoned and foundation rotting. Tipping his head up, he let out a soft howl. Your heart dropped.

“Areum?” Tim asked, landing next to your brother as he continued to let out his soft wail. “What does this mean?”

You had to take a deep breath, brace your hands on the arms of the chair.

“It means that whoever is in that building,” you whispered, “is dead. The kids he smelled earlier have been killed.”

Silence, heavy and damning, fell over the comms. Hyunjin continued to howl, Kon crouching down next to him to rest a hand on his back. Still letting out soft sounds of distress, Hyunjin leaned heavily into him, letting Kon sling an arm around him. Tim’s exhale was shaky, the camera in his mask tipping down as he ran his hands over his face.

“Maybe…” he hesitated, lowering himself to a crouch as well. “Maybe you should turn off the feeds for a while. I… I don’t think you want to see whatever is in there.”

“No,” you agreed, “I don’t think I do. I’ll… I’ll keep the radio channel open just in case. Be careful.”

“We will. I will.” Tim sighed, standing back up. “I’ll let you know when we’re headed back.”

One by one, you killed their camera feeds, set up the comms so that their chatter wouldn’t come through unless they wanted it to. Leaning back in the chair, you tipped your head back, staring up at the high ceiling. Without their voices in your ear, the hideout was painfully silent. Your only company was the gentle buzz of machinery, the soft chirps of equipment you had no idea how to use.

Closing your eyes, you let out a soft mourning howl of your own and hoped that, soon, you would be able to avenge the children that they’d found.

\---

Tim climbed down the ladder alone, shoulders slumped as he trudged his way over to you. Quiet, patient, you waited for him to speak first. When he took off his mask, his eyes were half-lidded and heavy with grief when they met your own.

“Kon took your brother home,” he said, voice rough. “He, uh… He didn’t seem like he was taking things well.”

“How bad was it?” you asked, cautious.

Shaking his head, Tim raked his fingers through his hair and looked away. You stood up, took wary steps toward him as he rested a hand over his injured side.

“Three dead kids,” he told you, voice soft. “Shot execution style. All bound and restrained with heavy chains. Place was abandoned, otherwise.”

“Did you find anything?”

“Yeah. A few things, actually.” Tim let you tug at the top of his uniform, obediently lifting his arms with a pained hiss so you could pull it off him. “Got some prints off the bodies and a few surfaces. Whoever killed the kids left a note, too.”

Frowning when you spotted the blood soaking the bandages on his side, you guided him to sit on the cot while you retrieved his first aid kit. Once you returned, you knelt in front of him, gently and carefully removing the bloodied bandages so you could get a better look at the wounds. Dark bruises were already blooming on his chest and abdomen, his muscles twitching when you let your fingers brush lightly over them.

“What did the note say?” you asked, jaw clenching when you saw the seeping wound. It looked painful, his chest rising and falling with short, pained breaths as you wiped blood away as gently as you could. “Anything important?”

“Just a date and location,” Tim hissed, hands fisted in his lap while you worked to clean the gashes. “Lines up with a WayneCorp charity gala a few nights from now.”

“So, they’re gonna set loose the kids they still have on a crowd of socialites.” You sighed, shaking your head as you put a fresh bandage on him, taping it securely to his warm skin. “Just fuckin’ great.”

“Dick and I were already planning on going,” he sighed, eyes meeting yours as you glanced back at him. “Koshka, too, since she’s pretty much Bruce’s right-hand woman. If they do hit the gala, we’ll be there to stop them.”

“I’m going too,” you told him, resting a hand on his knee.

“Areum—”

“No,” you cut him off, eyes narrowed. “I’m not letting you bench me again. I agreed this one time because I’m still not… fully recovered. But in a few days, I’ll be back in fighting shape. Plus, you have better chances of winning with a wolf on your side, too.”

“I…” Tim hesitated, frowning down at you. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah. I’m sure.” You grinned, letting your hand slide up to his thigh. “Besides, it gives you a chance to show up with a pretty girl on your arm.”

Face flushed, Tim let out a startled breath as you moved to straddle him, his hands coming to settle on your hips as you rested your own hands on his shoulders. The shadow that had fallen over his expression melted away, replaced with embarrassment as he glanced away.

“I…” He cleared his throat, fingers tightening on your hips. “Uh, yeah. I’ll make sure to get you an invitation, then.”

“Good boy.” Still grinning, you brushed a kiss against the corner of his lips.

Fingers slipping under the oversized shirt you wore to brush over your own flushed skin, Tim surged up to give you a proper kiss, teeth clicking against yours. Laugh muffled, you cradled his face in your hands, correcting the desperate press of his lips to yours, eyes slipping closed. He pulled you closer, hips cradled against his own as his hands slipped up to rest on the dip of your waist. Eventually, you pulled away, stopping him with a press of your fingers against his lips when he tried to kiss you again.

“Ah,” you purred, “so eager. But you’re still injured. Take it easy, _jagiya_.”

Eyes widening at the term of endearment, Tim blinked at you before his lips curved into a fond smile against your skin. Sliding your hand back down to rest against his chest, you felt the rapid fluttering of his heart against your palm as he pressed his forehead to yours.

“Are you always this much of a tease?” he asked, a rasp to his voice that sent a shiver down your spine. “I’m only human, Areum.”

“Oh, I’m very aware of how human you are,” you told him, “and I promise you that I have been, and always will be, an insufferable tease.”

Tim heaved a dramatic sigh, head rolling back before he let himself fall back onto the cot. You grinned, shifting your weight back and watching his expression carefully.

After all, you were trying to distract him from the horrors he’d seen. Distract yourself from the cloying taste of iron at the back of your tongue, the lingering feeling of flesh beneath your nails. Moving to lay down next to him, you hoped that, with time, you would be able to convince yourself that everything would be okay.

“Are you going to head back home?” he asked.

“Yeah.” You folded your hands over your stomach. “Unless you want me to stay with you.”

“No.” He sighed, turned his head to look at you. “I texted Steph to let her know that you’re okay, but… I think that she won’t be entirely convinced until she sees it for herself.”

You sighed, closing your eyes.

“Yeah.” You shook your head. “I’ve been a pretty shit roommate and a worse friend.”

“Then make up for it.”

“I will.” With another heavy sigh, you sat up, running your hands over your face. “I think that it’s about time that I tell her the whole truth, too.”

“Whoa,” Tim said, sitting up with you and watching you with wide eyes as you stood up. “Are you sure you’re ready to do that?”

“I’m not at all sure.” You shook your head, giving him a look of grim amusement. “But it’s gonna come out sooner or later. Just in case things aren’t going to be okay…” You trailed off before shrugging. “Best to come clean now.”

Frowning as you retrieved your coat, Tim braced his elbows on his knees.

“You know that I’m not gonna let anything happen to you, right?” he asked.

“I know that you’ll try your best.” You flipped up your hood, tightening the laces of your boots. “But nothing is guaranteed. Just like I want to make sure nothing happens to you, but I can’t guarantee that, either.”

Words of comfort probably would have been better, but you’d had enough pretending for the night. You paused, turned back to look at Tim. Concern furrowed his brow, eyes dark as they met your own. You offered him a half-hearted smile, hand resting on the ladder.

“It’ll be okay in the end,” you told him. Not a lie, but omitting the fact that, somewhere in between, things could go wrong even more than they already had. “Try to get some sleep, okay?”

“I will.” He offered you his own smile, frayed at the edges. “Be safe getting home.”

You gave him a small nod before climbing up and out, heaving a sigh once the door had shut behind you. Holding your hand out, you watched a snowflake drift down, settling gently in your palm before it melted. Shoving your hands in the pockets of your coat, you tried to convince yourself that your plan wasn’t an enormous mistake as snow drifted quietly down and you made your way back home.

\---

Stephanie was on you the moment you were inside, tackling you just as the door clicked shut, her arms a vice grip around you. Stumbling back against the wall, you grunted as she squeezed, her face pressed into your snow-crusted hood.

“Steph,” you gasped out, pushing at her shoulders, “can’t breathe…!”

“I was so worried about you, you _bitch_!” she growled, letting go of you finally. “What is going on with you?”

In all the time that you’d known Steph, you had only ever seen her get mad once. Although you knew that she had a temper, you’d never really given her a reason to lose it with you. But you knew the fire in her eyes, the set to her brow as she glared down at you. That one time you’d seen her lose it, her anger had been directed at Harper. Now that you were the target of her wrath, you had to swallow the whine that tried to escape you. She wasn’t just mad. She wasn’t just pissed.

No. Stephanie Brown was _furious_.

“Steph, I’m sorry,” you offered lamely, pulling off your coat and hanging it along with your keys next to the door. “I know it’s been really unfair of me to just leave you hanging—”

“Yeah, no shit,” she spat, arms crossed tightly. “Do you have any idea how I felt when you weren’t answering any of your calls? How scared I was that you’d been hurt, or killed? And then fucking Tim had to tell me that you were okay because you lost your phone somehow. Areum, I was about to call the cops. You can’t keep doing this to me.”

“Steph—”

“No.” She cut you off, eyes narrowing further. “No more excuses. You may think that you can get shit past me, but I know when you lie to me. And I’m not going to put up with it anymore. So, you’re going to tell me what the fuck is happening. Now.”

You took a deep breath, shrinking under her angry stare. Glancing up, you motioned to the couch.

“It’s… a long story,” you mumbled. “Maybe you should sit down.”

Steph stayed where she was for a moment, fraying your nerves further, before she finally moved to sit. Instead of sitting down next to her on the couch, you sat down heavily on the coffee table in front of her, lacing your fingers together.

“Well?” she said. “Explain.”

God, where were you even supposed to start? The whole thing felt like it had spanned months, not just a little over a week. You took another deep, steadying breath, looking her in the eye.

“There’s… a lot that I need to tell you,” you started, hesitant. “A lot that I probably should have told you a while ago. But I was scared to. I… This apartment, you and Harper, you’re the closest thing to normal that I have. I didn’t want to risk losing that. My family, we’re… we’re different. My mom, as you know, is from Jeju. But the community she grew up in was isolated. They, uh…”

Nervous, you had to pause, gather yourself. Stephanie remained silent, brow still pinched with anger.

Telling Tim had been nothing compared to finally telling your best friend.

“My mother, my siblings, and I… none of us are human,” you admitted.

She blinked.

“What?”

“The, uh, term in Korean is _illang_. It means werewolf. It’s the closest term to describe what we are, although we usually just call ourselves Wolves.”

“So…” She took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of her nose. “You’re telling me that you’re a _werewolf_? And you didn’t think that this was something that I needed to know?”

“My parents forbid us from telling anyone outside of the family,” you told her, shifting to lean towards her. “Jinwoo only told Mina because he had to, since they were engaged.”

“What about Tim?”

You winced.

“He… I told him. But only because I had to,” you explained.

“You told him before you told me?” she asked, hurt clear in her voice. “What the hell?”

“It was an extreme circumstance,” you stammered, reaching for her. Much to your relief, Stephanie let you take her hands in yours. “You remember when Tae got kidnapped? Someone… well, Scarecrow and some of the Triads have been kidnapping kids like him, Wolves, around Gotham. Hyunjin thought he found Tae, but got hit with a modified fear toxin made just for Wolves that made him lose control. Tim was with me, and I had to explain why my brother had turned into a huge monstrous wolf and killed a whole room full of people.”

“You’re chasing around _Scarecrow_?” she asked, voice going up in pitch as her eyes widened. “Areum, you can’t—”

“They took my little brother and framed my twin brother for murder, made them both act like monsters instead of people,” you interrupted, giving her hands a squeeze. “I have to. They’re my family, Steph. And I have help. It’s not like I’m charging into all of this alone.”

Stephanie was quiet for a long moment, her eyes on your intwined fingers, the anger on her face bleeding into hurt and confusion. Somehow, it felt even worse. Your heart lurched when she sighed, squeezed your hands back.

“I’m not gonna lie to you, Areum. I’m really hurt that you kept all of this from me. I thought that you trusted me—”

“I do!” you interjected. “I just… I wanted to keep you safe from all this…”

She shook her head.

“I still wish you would have told me about all this.” Stephanie sighed. “Although… I guess there’s stuff that I’ve kept from you, too.”

You frowned, waited for her to continue.

“When I was in high school, back when I was dating Tim, I was a vigilante, too,” she said. “I was Spoiler for a while. My dad… you know that he’s in jail. He was Cluemaster, and I just… I didn’t want to be like him. So I put on the costume and decided to fight back. But then Harper got involved, I broke up with Tim, I started going to college…” She sighed, shook her head. “I decided to quit. At least for a while, so I could focus on having a life outside of fighting crime. Harper had to take care of her brother, too, deal with… with stuff that she learned.”

Now it was your time to fall into a shocked silence. You’d heard of Spoiler, of course. She’d run with the rest of the Bats. But now that you knew, it made sense. People had known that Robin (Tim, back then, you figured) and Spoiler were dating, and it was the right time frame for their relationship. It was hard to reconcile the sweet, bubbly, energetic girl you’d known was also a retired vigilante, but… well, she had no reason to lie to you.

“Oh…” you struggled to find the words to say, dropping your gaze to your feet. “That’s… that’s why you knew who Tim was.”

“And you figured it out, too.” She smiled, still a little strained but not as pained as you’d expected. “You always have been too smart for your own good.”

“It wasn’t hard for me to figure out,” you told her with a wry grin. “Red Robin and Tim both smelled exactly the same, after all.”

Realization lit up in her eyes and she let out a startled laugh, shaking her head.

“That’s why you always seemed to know when Harper was here,” she said. “You could smell her.”

You gave a small shrug, smile sheepish. There was another moment of silence, far more comfortable, the tension bleeding away and replaced with the usual air of casual companionship you felt around Stephanie.

“I’m sorry that I kept all of this from you,” you murmured, letting Stephanie untangle your fingers, pull away. “I just wanted to protect you.”

“I know you did,” she sighed, reaching up and cupping your face in her hands. When you met her eyes, she smiled, warm and friendly once more. “You’ve always been stubborn like that. But thank you for trusting me with this. Are you… are you going to be okay?”

“Honestly?” you sighed, melting into her touch. “I don’t know. It seems like things just keep going wrong at every turn. But… I trust Tim. I trust that he’ll do his best.”

“He’ll take care of you,” she said, voice feather soft. “With this and after this. He’s… he’s a really good guy, Areum. Please, be gentle with him.”

“I will.” You tried for a smile again, although it felt more like a grimace. Your body still ached, bruises and cuts stinging now that the adrenaline had worn off. They would heal, of course, but the bone-deep exhaustion you felt would take longer to fade. “Thanks for listening to me. And for not kicking me out.”

“I was tempted,” she told you, touch slipping away as she flopped on her side. “But if you left, then I’d have to take out the trash and make sure the dishes get done.”

“I’m glad you only kept me because I do the chores,” you snorted, rolling your eyes. “Hey, just… wait there for a moment, okay?”

Brow furrowing, Steph gave you a small nod. You retreated to your room, pulling off your clothes and taking a deep breath. She knew. She knew, and she hadn’t immediately declared you a monster. Slipping into your wolf skin and taking a moment to make sure it hadn’t triggered the toxin, you shook out your fur and trotted into the living room. Stephanie watched you with wide eyes, remained still until you sat down in front of her, tail giving a small, hopeful wag.

Finally, she reached out, fingers sinking into your fur with a delighted laugh.

“Oh my god!” she giggled, squealing when you hopped up to press against her, licking at her chin. “Dude, your fur is so soft. I can’t believe you deprived me of this for two whole years, Areum. I could have had _wolf cuddles_.”

You let out a soft whine, nuzzling against her until she pushed you away.

“Can we just… sleep out here?” she asked finally. “Like this?”

As an answer, you moved to curl around her on the couch, barely enough room for the two of you. But she didn’t seem to mind, turning to bury her face in your fur with a happy sigh. Draping your tail over her legs, you let her wrap her arms around you, fingers gripping your fur. Within moments she was out, snoring softly.

Content, you closed your own eyes, let yourself have the small moment of peace.

It was, you suspected, the last time you would feel at peace for quite a while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wassuuuuuup. you can tell that i kind of rushed through the first part of this update but... yeah. i wanted to get to the Good Bits in the next chapter. 
> 
> i also may or may not be considering attaching some extra chapters to this fic for kon and hyunjin because.... well. i may or may not be boo boo the fool and accidentally made myself ship them. [nervous laughter]
> 
> thanks as always for reading. love y'all. be kind to yourselves. also, the title for this chapter comes from [This Music Video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OvyA2__Eas) which maaaaay or may not have inspired me to write this whole thing. whoops.


	14. Eclipse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> chapter warnings: violence, mild body horror
> 
> _twilight is approaching  
>  why are you just watching  
> when the moon covers the sun  
> it feels like i'm alone_

Fifteen minutes after you’d arrived at the gala, you decided that perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad if Gotham’s elite were all murdered by rampaging werewolves. Since you were there to protect the assholes, you weren’t even able to drink to forget the judgmental gazes at your back. Arm linked with Tim’s as he led you past another group of whispering socialites dripping with jewelry that cost more than your entire tuition combined, you leaned closer to him and spoke in a low voice.

“If one more heiress looks at me like I’m wearing a garbage bag, I’m going to claw someone’s eyes out,” you hissed.

“I think you look nice,” he whispered back, glancing down at you with a sly grin. “Didn’t take you for the type to care about what these people thought.”

“I don’t,” you snapped back, not bothering to hide your displeasure. “I just don’t appreciate being stared at like a piece of rotting, unsavory meat.”

“You’re the one who wanted to come here,” Tim reminded you, steering you away from a group of elderly men who stared at your legs a bit too long for comfort. “Look, just stick with me and Dick and everything will be fine.”

“Maybe we should just leave.” You glared at one of the men, tugging at the short black tulle hem of your dress. “Not sure it would be such a loss for these people to die.”

“As much as I’m inclined to agree with you,” Tim said, pulling you closer with a dark smile, “we both know that would be the wrong choice to make. Just… leave this to me, okay? My dad was one of them. I know how to handle the snakes.”

Of course. The Drake name still carried some weight to it. Tim had explained it to you the night before, hesitant as he explained his father’s place among the elite. It made sense. How he carried so much weight within WayneCorp, even for a mentee of Bruce Wayne. His opulent apartment, the way he carried himself when he wasn’t in costume, arrogance hidden beneath so many layers of social awkwardness. You couldn’t hold his pedigree against him, not when he hadn’t held your own low social standing and gangster brother against you. But the ease with which he moved through the crowd, the false smile on his face, made you uneasy.

With each passing day, Tim showed a new side of himself to you, and you found your curiosity only growing.

Finally, he came to a stop near the bar, just far enough from most of the party to afford you a small amount of privacy, but close enough that you would both be alerted if there was any sign of trouble. With a small sigh, you slipped your hand from his arm, fiddling with your dress again. It was the nicest you owned, the halter bodice made of silken black material and embroidered with white flowers. Even with the long fingerless gloves you’d worn, your tattoos were still visible, vibrant swirls of ink on your shoulders, chest, and back. You could feel eyes lingering on them, tried to bite back the snarl that rose in your throat.

You didn’t belong there, and the people milling around the lavish space seemed determined to drive that point deeper and deeper into you.

“Hey.” Tim’s voice snapped you out of your quiet reverie. “See that woman over there, the one in that gaudy green dress?”

Your gaze followed his small gesture, finding the woman in question. She had a flute of champagne in her hand, blond hair twisted up in an elegant, bejeweled bun. Frowning, you gave a small nod. Tim leaned closer, his hand coming to rest on the small of your back.

“She works for one of the biggest corporate law firms in Gotham,” he murmured, lips brushing against your ear. “Lex Luthor is one of her clients.”

“So?” you said, glancing over at him and suppressing a shiver as his hand slipped lower.

“For years she’s been trying to get Bruce to fire Jason Bard and hire her instead.” His grin turned sly as he nodded back towards her. “Watch.”

Still all too aware of Tim, his scent washing over you, you watched the woman as she slowly approached Bard. The man was speaking to Wayne, Koshka standing next to the CEO in a dark blue dress and looking obscenely bored. Carefully, the woman waited until Bard gestured wildly before she stepped closer. The flute of champagne was knocked from her hand, crashing to the floor as she let out a dramatic gasp. The wine had splashed up onto the long skirt of her dress, feigned embarrassment turning her cheeks red. Dozens of eyes swiveled to take in the scene, conversations grinding to a halt as the vultures all waited to see how this particular faux pas was going to be dealt with. Bard looked suitably horrified, apologizing to the woman and glancing nervously at Wayne. To his credit, Wayne almost masked his indifference behind a forced amusement, but you could see it in his eyes. Koshka merely looked tired, staring down at a shard of glass that had come near her foot with withering disappointment.

“Happens at every gala,” Tim told you, smothering a laugh. “She does something to make Bard look like even more of a tool. It never works the way she wants it to, but she never gives up. One day she’ll just stab him in the back and try to pretend he backed into the knife himself.”

“God,” you snickered, lifting a hand in a futile excuse to hide your amusement. “Are they all like this?”

“Pretty much,” he sighed. “All waiting for any opportunity to pounce and claw their way further up the social hierarchy. Why do you think Bruce brings Koshka to these things? She’s pretty much the only person who can keep all the women trying to get in his pants at a safe distance.”

Now that he mentioned it, you realized that several debutantes were casting wary glances towards the woman. She remained impassive, scrolling through her phone and speaking to Wayne quietly. The man bent towards her, giving small, uninterested nods as he observed the guests.

“I thought he had his playboy reputation to keep up,” you said.

“Oh, he does.” Tim sighed yet again, a long suffering sound. “But now Koshka filters through women before these parties and will disappear at just the right moment if he thinks any of them will help out that reputation.”

“That’s a bit…” you hesitated, shaking your head. “Well, it’s a bit sociopathic, don’t you think?”

“It is,” he easily agreed, surprising you. “But he’s got to make sure to balance his public persona pretty carefully.”

When you looked back over at Wayne, you realized that his cold blue eyes were on you. His expression was calculated as he bent to whisper something to Koshka. Then her own eyes were on you, the color contacts she wore doing nothing to mask the… Otherness in her gaze. But you only puffed out your chest under their cold scrutiny, pressed closer to Tim and bared your teeth in a vicious smile. Koshka’s expression morphed into one of thinly veiled amusement. But Wayne remained impassive, his eyes narrowing for a moment before he and his assistant turned back to each other. Tim was quiet next to you, but the tension bled from him when Wayne turned away.

“Afraid of what the boss might think?” you asked, giving his tie a small tug and grinning at the shift in his scent.

“No,” he grumbled with a shake of his head. “I already got the usual lecture from him about dating.”

“Oh,” you giggled, watching the realization dawn on his face and turn into red-faced embarrassment, “so you’ve decided that we’re dating now, Tim?”

While you would have been quite happy to watch him stammer and struggle to come up with a weak excuse, Dick Grayson waltzed up and spared him the mortification. The man gave you a dimpled smile, devious glint in his eye. He’d been listening in and waiting for the best moment to interject, you realized.

“Sorry to interrupt,” he said, clearly not sorry at all at catching Tim in a mortifying moment, “but if you don’t mind, Tim, I thought I’d steal your… companion for a moment.”

The phrasing only made Tim turn redder, indignant pout growing on his face. Snickering, you released the flustered boy and turned to Grayson with a small tilt of your head.

“I don’t mind, and I don’t think Tim does, either,” you answered, letting Grayson take your hand. “Although I’m curious what exactly you need me for.”

“Oh, just a bit of reconnaissance, that’s all,” Grayson told you as he led you away from Tim, who still seemed to be short-circuiting. “As good as I am at reading people, I figure you’re better at noticing if something is wrong.”

“I’m okay, I guess,” you snickered. Resting your hand in the crook of his elbow, you let him lead you through the crowd, his easy, dimpled smile turning away curious stares. “But I’m pretty sure that’s not the only reason you got me by myself.”

“Ah, Tim said you were smart.” Grayson grinned down at you, pulling you towards the dance floor. “Come on, one dance?”

“Oh,” you said, “I don’t—”

But it was too late. Grayson was already sweeping you out into the open area, taking your hand and resting his other high on your back. Uncertain, you placed your free hand on his shoulder and let him guide you into a simple dance, his movements confident while your own steps faltered. He didn’t seem to mind, easily compensating any time you missed a beat or nearly trod on his feet.

“So,” he said, “you’re looking at going to law school?”

“Uh,” you answered, thrown off balance by both the question and the sudden swell in tempo of the music. “Yeah, once I graduate in the spring. How do you…?”

“Bruce had Koshka do a little digging,” he chuckled. “Just to make sure you weren’t secretly a spy or a criminal. Standard background check for any of his kids when they start dating.”

“But Tim isn’t…” you trailed off, frowning. “Wait, are you saying—”

“Oh, God, no.” Grayson laughed, his face lighting up. “No, Tim isn’t his love child or anything. But Bruce still sees him as one of his kids, even if he isn’t related by blood or a ward, like me.”

“Well, I’m guessing that I at least met his standards,” you sighed, letting Dick spin you before regaining your balance again.

“Even if you didn’t, there’s not much he could do,” he admitted. “Tim’s an adult, and once he’s made up his mind about something, convincing him to change it is borderline impossible.”

You hummed, coming to a stop with the music and heaving a sigh of relief when Grayson led you back off the floor again. Although you felt a little… weird about Wayne conducting his own little investigation into you, you supposed you couldn’t really blame him. If he cared for Tim like a son like Grayson claimed, his concern made sense. After all, the moment you introduced Tim to your own family as a mate, they would do their own digging into his life.

However, they’d ask questions and demand answers to his face. Not behind his back.

“Notice anything?” he asked, tipping his head down towards you and lowering his voice.

“No,” you sighed. “Just a bunch of snotty rich assholes. No threats so far.”

“Hey, better boring than shit going south fast, right?”

“Mm,” you grunted.

If you were being honest, you’d rather be fighting off rabid wolves. At least they let you know how much they wanted you dead, instead of hiding it behind fake smiles.

Tim immediately pulled you back into his side when you returned, a new spike in his scent as his hand gripped at your hip. You grinned as Dick grabbed a couple of hors d'oeuvres and handed one to you.

“Oh,” you simpered, “is that jealousy that I smell on you, Tim?”

“No,” he grumbled, grabbing some food for himself as well.

“Aw, Timbo, how sweet,” Dick snickered.

“Don’t start,” Tim snapped back.

“You know that Koshka would eat me alive if I even thought about it,” Dick pointed out.

Just as you stuffed the fancy little snack in your mouth, you froze. A familiar scent drifted towards you, one that decidedly did not belong at the gala. Dick and Tim’s conversation faded as you scented the air, slowly turning towards the source.

Youngho Shin stood at the other side of the gathering, watching the dancers with cold amusement. He wore a fine black silk suit, the jacket embroidered with intricate golden dragons. Hands in his pockets, his gaze slowly moved to meet your own. There was no surprise in his expression as he held your glare, and he gave you a slow, vicious smile. Swallowing your food, you slipped your hand out of Tim’s, low growl building in your throat.

“Areum?” Tim asked, turning to shoot you a concerned look. “What’s up?”

“Someone’s crashing the party,” you snarled. When Grayson and Tim both stiffened, you gave a small shake of your head. “No need for alarm… yet. I’ll take care of it.”

“You sure?” Grayson didn’t seem convinced, casting a glance around the room.

“I’m sure. It’s personal.”

Not waiting for their responses, you stormed towards Shin. Couples swerved out of your way, a few giving you dirty looks as you crossed straight across the dance floor. When you reached Shin, he had the audacity to laugh, taking a glass of champagne from a passing server. You had to swallow another growl, stepping closer to him.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” you snarled, voice low so as not to alert the people around you.

“I’m just enjoying the party,” he told you, taking a sip. “Just like everyone else here.”

“I doubt that Wayne invited a known gangster to one of his charity galas,” you said, prodding him in the chest. “I won’t repeat myself again: what the _fuck_ are you doing here?”

“Oh, I could ask you the same question.” With a low chuckle, he set his free hand on your hip, ignoring the way you flinched away from his touch. “After all, why would the Gotham Elite ever let stray dogs like us mingle with them? Especially _you_. I at least have some money and power. Connections to offer. But you’re a poor law student with a criminal brother. If there’s anyone who doesn’t belong here, it’s you.”

“Fuck you,” you spat, slapping his hand away. “I don’t owe you shit.”

“And I don’t owe you shit either, little sister,” he countered. “Curious how familiar you seemed with one of Wayne’s little pet projects. Never figured you for a gold digger.”

If it weren’t for the people around you and your concern about Tim’s reputation, you would have broken his jaw right then and there. Instead, you clenched your hands into fists and took a deep, steadying breath. Shin wanted you to lose your cool. He wanted you to be angry so that you would get sloppy.

“You don’t seem at all surprised to see me, despite the fact that you handed me over to the triads a few nights ago,” you pointed out, quirking an eyebrow. “I figured that a man with your ‘connections’ would have heard about the incident at Arkham.”

“Oh, it’s because I heard about it that I knew you’d still be around,” Shin said, finishing off his champagne and handing off the empty glass to another server. “Have to say, I’m impressed at just how brutal you were. How many deaths were there again… sixteen? Seventeen? Most of them guards, I think.”

There wasn’t anything to say to that. There was no excuse for it, as hard as Tim would try to give you one. You could say that no, that hadn’t been you, it had been some toxin-induced madness. But you knew better. Every death was your fault.

“I didn’t think you had it in you,” he continued. “Shame you decided to be a good little girl and stick with the rest of your family instead of backing up poor Hyunjin. We could’ve used someone like you.”

Gritting your teeth, you gave him a small shove, satisfied to see surprise in his eyes as he stumbled back a step. No one around you seemed to notice, thankfully, and you bared your teeth, nails lengthening and sharpening as you advanced on him.

“What do you want?” you snarled, letting him lead you back, away from the crowds and prying eyes. “I know you aren’t the type to just show up at some fancy party to try to pickpocket the rich and famous, Youngho. Did you finally sell what little bit of your soul you had left to Crane? Decide to become a crony?”

“I didn’t sell out,” he snapped, back hitting the wall. His eyes were narrowed as you got in his space, low growl rumbling from your chest. “And I never would have expected you to sell out and be a guard dog for rich white men.”

“I’m not a dog.” You grabbed him by the tie, jerked his face closer to yours. “You know nothing about what I want. You know nothing about me, Youngho. I’m here because I want to make sure that you and whoever you work for stops fucking with my family.”

“If you really wanted what’s best for them,” he said, “you’d let me go and walk out of this place. These people have been oppressing us for decades. Don’t you want to prove that you’re superior? That you deserve to be treated with respect?”

“Not through violence and death. That doesn’t earn respect. The only thing that comes from bloodshed is fear.”

“They should fear you!” he snapped, a few eyes drifting over to you. But Shin didn’t seem to care. He grabbed your wrist, eyes flashing. “They should fear us. The people they shoved into gutters to rot. The ones they never expected to find power. To be weapons of their destruction.”

“Wolves don’t want power,” you growled, trying to jerk out of his grip. But Shin… he was stronger than you expected, his hold bordering on painful. “We just want to be left alone.”

“You don’t get that luxury.” Shin grinned, his scent spiking with something alien that made your blood run cold. “Not anymore.”

“What have you done?” you whispered.

“Oh, you’ll find out soon enough,” he whispered back. “Just sit back and enjoy the show.”

“Areum!”

At the sound of Tim’s voice, Shin released you. You stared at him as he straightened his tie, glancing down at the other man with cold disdain. Glaring up at the gangster, Tim pulled you against his side, arm wrapped around your waist possessively.

“What are you doing here?” Tim asked him.

“Honestly, I’m getting a little tired of that question,” Shin replied casually. “I’m an invited guest here, just like you. Relax, little bird. Jealousy looks particularly ugly on you.”

Tim opened his mouth to spit back an insult, but fell silent when you placed a hand on his chest. Uneasy, you turned away from Shin and looked up at him.

“Not right now,” you whispered. “Come on.”

“Listen to your girl,” Shin called to your retreating backs. “She knows you’ll never stand a chance against me.”

Stiffening, Tim started to turn. You took his hand in yours, jerking him down so you could dust a kiss over his jaw. The tension bled from him at the small gesture, his anger melting away as you pulled him away. You shot a glare at Shin from over your shoulder, but he simply looked smug, leaning back against the wall. The crowd closed around him, but you could smell him. Inhuman, wrong. Whatever horrors were planned, he no doubt had a hand in them. Avoiding the dance floor this time, you pulled Tim into a dark corner, away from the crowds.

“Areum, what the hell—”

“Shin’s working with Crane,” you interrupted. “Or he’s working with the triads. Or he’s taken over. I don’t… he’s here for a reason, and it’s not just to try to blackmail a few heiresses.”

“What?” Tim frowned down at you, resting his hands on your shoulders. “Areum, that doesn’t make any sense. He got your brother out of trouble with the cops, gave you info before he agreed to let you take Hyunjin’s place. I know he’s an asshole, but that goes against everything he’s done so far.”

“No.” You shook your head. “No, it doesn’t. He… he’s known about Hyunjin for who knows how long. Maybe since he took him in. He knew how dangerous a wolf could be. He’s the only person who would have known about Jintae, about our family. Not to mention that before someone knocked Tae out and snatched him, the only way they would have been able to get that close would be if it was someone he knew. Even though he said he was cornered, that the guy took him off guard... the scent still had to be familiar enough for him to even let the guy get that close.”

“But wouldn’t you have known it was him from his scent?” he asked.

“Normally,” you admitted. “But… his scent changed just now. There’s something not right with him. Plus, if he masked it well enough, he could fool even a Wolf. And the Ghost Dragons, they were waiting for Hyunjin. Someone had to have tipped them off, in exchange for something that benefitted both parties. Like killing the current boss so someone else could rise to power.”

“Like Lynx…” Tim frowned, running a hand through his hair. “So she murdered her boss and Hyunjin massacred everyone in the room to cover it up. But then why would she demand him from Shin in payment for the gang war?”

“Because they had to keep up appearances.” You began to pace back and forth, fists clenching and unclenching. “Her underlings didn’t know she was the one who killed the boss. They had to find some way to end their false war before it got out of hand. What better way than to hand over a loose end?”

“Then why did he agree to let you do it?”

“Because if they fucked up,” you snarled, “I’d get rid of all of his competition for him and he could just shrug and say that he didn’t know how unstable I was. Tim, I think he’s been playing everyone this whole time. Crane, the triads, us.”

“But why?” Tim watched you as you paced, brow furrowed. “It still doesn’t make sense.”

“Crane is a chemist,” you said. “He would agree to make the fear toxin in exchange for his freedom, but I don’t think he’d follow through after that. Slaughtering all of Gotham’s elite? Not his style. He’d rather just watch them go insane from fear. The triads have enough connections and are easily bought, so he paid them to arrange for his escape. And Lynx probably thinks she was playing everyone from the beginning. The kids…” You froze, realization dawning. “The triads didn’t kill those kids. Shin did. To cover his tracks. It wasn’t the triads who took them. It was him.”

“How did you even figure that out?” he asked.

“I just… he said…” Frustrated, you threw your hands up. “He said that he didn’t sell out. And that the people here should fear us. Should fear me.”

It was clear that Tim was still having a hard time buying your theory. But the more you thought about it, the more sense it made. Shin had always been too smart, too willing to lay down other lives for his own benefit. He’d risen to second in command of the Dragon’s Claw within a matter of a few years. Why not use more powerful gangs and a well known costumed villain to continue his rise to power?

“How certain are you?” Tim finally asked you.

“What?”

“How certain?” He stepped closer, took your face in his hands. “On a scale of one to ten, how certain are you that you’re right? That he’s behind the attack planned tonight?”

“Ten,” you said. No hesitation. “He left the note. He killed those kids. He set up my family so that he could take over Gotham.”

“Okay.” Tim took a deep breath, pressing his forehead to yours and closing his eyes. “Okay. We… we can work with that, for now.”

“Thank you,” you whispered, leaning into him. “What… what do we do now?”

The question centered him again, his shoulders squaring as he straightened and looked down at you. You could witness as he shifted into vigilante mode, eyes narrowing as he thought on your words.

“Dick and I will keep an eye out for any wolves or other signs of danger. You focus on keeping an eye on Shin, move in if anything happens.” He heaved a sigh. “I… I wouldn’t ask you to go alone any other time, but if Dick or I disappear for too long, people will start to ask questions and—”

“Tim.” You interrupted him, taking his hands in yours. “I understand. And we both know that I’m capable of taking Shin on by myself. You worry about keeping those rich fucks alive and I’ll take care of Shin.”

“Just… be careful,” he said, voice low. “Please.”

“If I had a dollar for every time you’ve said that to me since we met, I’d be a little richer.” You grinned, going up on your toes to kiss him, soft and slow. When you pulled back, he squeezed your hands. “You be careful, too. You’ve got antidote on you?”

“Of course.” Tim grinned back at you, taking a reluctant step back. “Dick and Koshka have some, as well. And we have back-up plans for our back-up plans.”

Tim started to turn, to walk away, but you stopped him, grabbing onto the back of his suit coat. When he turned back to you with a frown, you brushed hair from his eyes. Frankly, you didn’t want to leave his side. You wanted to stay by him, to protect him. But the plan had to take precedence over your feelings. At least for the moment.

“After this shitshow of a gala,” you told him, voice low, “I hope you’ll take me home with you.”

Realization dawned slowly, his ears flushing as his eyes widened. He cleared his throat and gave you a crooked grin, slipping out of your grip.

“There’s nothing else I want more,” he said, voice dipping into a low pitch that sent a delicious shiver down your spine. You had to bite back a whine, hands curling into fists to keep from grabbing him and shoving him down right then and there. “So, let’s make sure we both make it out of this in one piece.”

With a small nod, you watched him leave, eyes lingering on the flattering fit of his suit before he disappeared back into the crowd. Leaning back against the wall, you sighed and resisted the urge to run your hands over your face. Stephanie had put a lot of time and effort into your makeup, and you weren’t about to ruin it before potentially beating the shit out of Shin. After you’d gathered yourself, you fixed your gloves and stepped back out into the gala.

In anticipation of a fight, you’d tried to dress somewhat comfortably. The gloves you wore had come with the men’s hanbok your father had purchased for you several years before in anticipation of a large taekwondo tournament being held in the dojang. It hadn’t panned out, but you’d kept the outfit in the back of your closet. Although Steph had complained that your legs and ass looked _way_ better in heels, you’d forgone them to wear flats instead, the soles well padded and ribbons lacing them up your ankles and calves for a minimal amount of support. Nothing much could be done about the dress, but the skirt was loose enough that it wouldn’t restrict your kicks.

It didn’t take long for you to spot Shin. His scent stuck out like a sore thumb among so many prey, a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Keeping your head down, you navigated through the crowd. You made sure to stay a safe distance from him, eyes flickering up only to make sure he was still visible before you melted back into the tipsy groups around you. Few of them even seemed to acknowledge your presence when you stepped into their space, too intent on their own conversations. Dick and Tim had split up as well, the older man stationed near the emergency exit while Tim had sat down at the bar, giving himself a view of the entire space. The music switched to something more slow paced and melancholy, something about the tune setting you on edge.

You recognized it, but you couldn’t quite put your finger on it. But you knew that something was wrong. Glancing at Tim, you noticed he had stood back up, a frown on his face. Maybe he had noticed it, too. You turned to locate Shin again but froze.

His scent had simply… vanished. Stiffening, you desperately searched the crowds for any sign of his dark hair, the gold embroidery of his jacket. Even though it should have been impossible, he had simply vanished into thin air. A low growl built in your chest, your hands curling into fists as you slipped through jostling bodies, trying to get back to Tim.

You only made it a few steps when the domed glass roof shattered.

The lights flickered and there were scattered screams as the music ground to a halt. You watched with muted horror as glass shards rained on the crowd, Gotham’s elite scattering as two dark figures landed in the middle of the space. Shoving panicking heiresses and investment bankers out of the way, you let your eyes shift, adjusting to the sudden darkness. The sickly sweet chemical smell of the fear toxin drifted through the air, almost masking the distinctively Wolf scents of the two teens who had dropped in. As you moved closer, you noticed their mouths and noses were covered with re-engineered respirators, no doubt pumping the toxin into their lungs.

Cursing under your breath, you shoved a sobbing woman out of the way and ran towards the Wolves. With all the chaos in the room, you couldn’t tell where Dick, Koshka, or Wayne were. More importantly, you could smell Tim, but had no clue where he was. Shoving the thought away, you let a loud snarl rip from your lips as you broke through the crowds. Just as you were free of the writhing, panicked mass, you saw the change start.

Howling in pain, the two Wolves began their change. Cold fear kept you rooted in place as their bodies bulged and pulsed, their bones audibly snapping and muscles ripping apart as the toxin forced the shift. Your own bones ached with the faded memory of your own experience, hands shaking as the wolf on the right, a large male with silver fur, tilted his head to the sky and howled.

A fresh wave of fear rose from the people behind you, all of them scrambling to get out. You could distantly hear Dick yelling at people to leave through the emergency exits, Koshka’s melodic voice joining his and echoing his words. You had no idea where Wayne was, but suspected that he was doing his part, as well. Shaken from your trance, you looked between the two drooling, rabid beasts, their masks twisted and misshapen at their feet.

A bottle shattered against the back of the other wolf, a smaller male with mottled brown-grey fur, drawing his attention from the crowd. Tim, your brave, wonderful, stupid Tim, had shed his suit coat and tied one of the fancy napkins around the bottom half of his face in a makeshift mask. Even on the other side of the room, you could see the unflinching determination in his eyes, the way his chest puffed as the wolf roared.

Shifting your attention to the larger wolf, you took a deep breath. Now was not the time for fear. Now was not the time to shrink away. Gathering your growing rage, you didn’t bother to find anything to hide your face. None of the elite would remember you, anyways. Not as anything other than the low class Asian girl who’d attached herself to one of the Wayne boys. Snatching up a discarded shoe, you wound back and threw it as hard as you could at the larger wolf. The impact was audible, his head snapping to the side.

His eyes, which had been scanning the screaming Gotham upper class, zeroed in on you. Baring your teeth, you curled your hands into fists and braced yourself.

“Come on, asshole,” you snapped. “This is _my_ territory.”

Whether it was your words or simply the smell of an enemy wolf that triggered his rage, you weren’t certain. But either way, your ploy worked. With a roar, he fell to all fours and charged you. Bending your knees and raising your hands, you waited for an opening. The wolf dropped his shoulder as he prepared to swipe at you, and you leapt into action.

No holding back. Not when your safety and the safety of the ones you loved was at stake.

Pivoting on your heel, you threw all of your strength into a kick that landed in the soft area between the wolf’s shoulder and neck, his collarbone shattering under the impact. Your foot stung but you shrugged it off, lunging forward as he lurched to the side with a pained whine. Fingers curling into the fur at the back of his neck, you slammed his face hard into the floor. Once, twice, three times. You heard the crunch of bone, your own rage fueling you. But the wolf lashed out with his good arm, back of his massive hand colliding with your ribs and knocking you off your feet. Hot pain lanced up your side as you hit the floor hard, gasping for air. Instead of immediately rolling to your hands and knees, you let the wolf hover over you, snarling in pain.

Just as his muzzle came into view you lashed out, elbow connecting with his snout. There was a muted sound of pain from the wolf as he stumbled back and you struggled to take a deep breath, pushing yourself to your feet again. It didn’t feel like he’d broken any of your ribs, but they were badly bruised, side screaming with pain with each inhale. Gritting your teeth, you pushed past it. Pressing forward, you landed a punch to the wolf’s windpipe, the beast falling to its hands and knees with a terrible wheeze.

Later, you could feel bad for essentially assaulting a child. For the moment, you needed to focus on pacifying him. Taking advantage of him being stunned, you grabbed him by the back of the neck and shoved his face to the floor. After a bit of a struggle, you managed to pin his wrists with your knees, breathing heavily as he panted beneath you.

“Tim!” you cried out, breathing heavily as you looked up and tried to find him.

He sat atop the shoulders of the other wolf, one hand keeping the jaws shut while he jammed the antidote into the side of his neck. Hair askew and his red shirt torn in a few places, he waited until the wolf collapsed and slowly morphed back into a teenager before he looked over at you. The wolf under you was beginning to struggle again, trying to crane his head back to bite you. Snarling, you pressed harder against his neck, tips of your nails digging into the skin there.

“A little help?” you asked, pressing your knees down further against the wolf’s wrists. “Strong as I am, I’m not sure I can hold him much longer.”

“Right, here!” Tim tossed one of the vials of antidote to you.

Catching it easily, you spread your fingers and jammed the needled into the snarling wolf’s neck. Slowly, he fell still, his body shifting back to its human skin. Only once the last bone had snapped back in place did you stand up. The space was silent, the elite successfully evacuated. You could hear sirens in the distance, the police only moments away. Tim put a hand on your shoulder. When you looked up at him, he gave you a forced, bitter smile, makeshift mask already tossed away.

“We need to go,” he told you.

“But the kids—”

“Let the police handle this one.” Tim interrupted before you could protest. “Bruce and Dick can keep an eye on them to make sure they’re safe in custody.”

You didn’t trust any of the cops in Gotham. Especially not with Wolves, kids who had already been reduced to weapons. But you didn’t have much room to argue. Not in that moment. If you were still there when the cops arrived, there was a good chance they’d arrest you, too. After all, you didn’t belong. It would be all too easy to pin the whole thing on you, the outsider with criminal ties.

With a muted growl, you let Tim take your hand and pull you away. Glass crunched under your feet as you ran, fingers linked tightly with his as he pulled you outside and away from the small clusters of sobbing party goers. Grayson approached both of you, his cheerful expression replaced with one of deep concern.

“Anyone hurt?” Tim asked him.

“A few injuries from the glass, but nothing critical or lethal.” Grayson glanced between the two of you. “Are you guys okay?”

“A few shallow lacerations, nothing serious,” Tim told him, then glanced down at you. “Areum?”

“Bruised ribs and knuckles,” you murmured, wrapping your arms around yourself and shivering in the cold. “The usual.”

“Here.” Grayson pulled off his suit coat, settling it over your shoulders. “Are you going to stick around?”

“I don’t think so,” Tim said, letting you press against his side for warmth. “It’ll be a little harder to explain claw marks in my shirt. Handle it for us?”

“Of course.” Grayson smiled, but the warmth didn’t reach his eyes. “Make sure you take the back way. Let me know when you get home?”

“Will do.” With a sigh, Tim glanced down at you. “Are you okay with leaving?”

“Yeah.” You pulled Grayson’s suit coat tighter around yourself, turning to him. “I’ll make sure that this gets back to you. Thank you.”

“Hey, no problem,” he said, waving off your thanks. “Just make sure that you get some rest, okay? And make sure Tim does, too.”

“I will.” You gave him a small nod.

After a murmured farewell of his own, Tim took your hand again and led you away. Squad cars pulled to a stop around the building, red and blue lights lighting up the night. Sticking to the shadows, both of you made your way to Tim’s car, parked away from the rest. He avoided the main streets as he pulled away, silence falling as he drove away.

“Shin got away,” you whispered, resting your head against the cold glass of the window.

“How?” Tim asked. There was no anger in his voice. Just resignation. Exhaustion.

“I don’t know,” you admitted. It stung, a hard blow against your pride. “One moment he was there, and the next he’d just… disappeared.” After a pause, you softly added, “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t… don’t apologize.” Tim’s grip was white knuckled on the steering wheel as he turned down back streets. “It’s not your fault, okay? Don’t blame yourself for it. We’ll… we’ll figure this out.”

You didn’t reply. You weren’t sure what to say. Even though no one had died, it felt like a loss. Shin had gotten away, the kids were in police custody, and you had no doubt that the attack would make headlines. Your kind could no longer hide in the shadows. What would happen to you, to your family? People were going to start asking questions. Jinwoo’s pups were still too young to have control over their shifting, a dangerous thing now that Wolves would be dragged from the shadows and into the spotlight. Tae had always had trouble with control, and with his former boss complicit in all this, you were certain that Hyunjin would have his own troubles.

God, Hyunjin. What was going to happen to your twin? He was going to be devastated when he found out. His life was being torn apart, piece by piece, and you were terrified of what he would do. Would he murder Shin? In the morning, you would need to check in on him first thing. Make sure that he was okay, or at least as okay as he possibly could be. Lost in your thoughts, you were startled when you felt Tim’s hand rest on your knee.

“We’re here,” he said.

Sure enough, you’d already arrived at his apartment complex. Quietly, you got out of the car, followed him through the lobby and into the elevator. Tim wordlessly took your hand again, laced his fingers with yours. Neither of you spoke.

There was no need for words. Not for the moment. And all you wanted, then, was to know that he was with you. For that fleeting moment, the world quiet around you, you let yourself pretend that everything was going to be okay.

In the morning, you could face reality. In the morning, you could face the consequences.

But for that night, as the elevator doors slid open, all you wanted was to lose yourself in the man you’d slowly but certainly fallen for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> surprise!! the major players were getting played all along. and don't worry, you'll all know who and what shin really is before this is all over. all the dots will be connected eventually, promise. and yes, smut is in the next chapter. i figure i've made the kiddos wait long enough lmao 
> 
> thanks as always for reading!! hope y'all are taking care of yourselves in these difficult times. love you all. 
> 
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> discord: mynoghraa#8836  
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	15. Shangri-La

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> chapter warnings: explicit sexual content (oral sex [male and female receiving], fingering, penetrative sex), mention of seizures, some mention of otherness/dehumanization
> 
> _my day and night are all you  
>  even my swaying heart  
> your thick scent bewitches me_

Pressing Tim down to sit on the couch, you tried to ignore the spike of arousal in his scent. It was hard enough not to give in right then and there, a carnal part of you desperate to claim him as your own. But he was injured, and you were too.

Mating could come later. For the moment, you had to exercise self-control.

“Where is your first aid kit?” you asked him.

“Master bathroom. Down the hall to the left. Under the sink,” he told you. His pupils were dilated, eyes watching closely as you pulled off your gloves. “I’m fine.”

“I can smell the blood on you.” You shot him an unamused glare, tossing the gloves onto an armchair. “And the tears in your shirt are obvious. Don’t move.”

Much to your pleasure, Tim was obedient. He reclined on the couch, dark eyes following you as you retreated down the hall. Even when you were out of his line of sight, crouched in his stupidly fancy bathroom retrieving an expensive looking first aid kit, you could have sworn you felt the heat of his gaze. Or maybe it was simply the smell of his arousal, the way it overwhelmed you, an overbearing presence even in the spacious apartment. A reminder that as much as you wanted him, he wanted you even more.

By the time you returned to him, throwing the kit down on the coffee table in front of him, he’d kicked off his shoes. His scent spiked again when he saw you, when you pulled the table closer so you could sit on it and tug him forward by his tie. His breathing was shallow as you undid the silk tie, kept your face neutral while you unbuttoned his shirt. Everything about Tim Drake screamed that he wanted you, from his scent to the heat of his gaze to the way his fingers clutched at his slacks, trying to keep his hands off you.

Once you were finished, you would indulge him.

At that moment, you were more concerned about the wounds on his chest, shallow but still enough to bleed. There were more on his back, you knew, but you could worry about those later. You pushed his shirt off, leaned forward and began to dab antiseptic on the cuts. Tim let out a soft hiss, twitching at the sting, but kept obediently still for you.

“Good boy,” you purred, hand resting on his shoulder as you climbed onto his lap. When he stiffened, you coaxed him to rest his head on your shoulder, urging him far enough forward for you to tend to the scrapes on his back. Thankfully, they were shallow, barely even bleeding. “I promise that you’ll get a treat after this.”

A small shudder went down his spine, one you could feel as you finished cleaning the last scrape left by the Wolf’s claws. Tim turned to press his face into your neck, lips brushing over your pulse. With a soft sigh, he rested his hands on your hips, urged you closer.

“What kind of treat?” he whispered against your skin.

“Whatever you want.”

And you meant it. Although you would have preferred dominating him, sinking your teeth into the tender skin of his shoulder to mark him as yours, you could control yourself. Because Tim had been good to you. More than that, he had been good to your family. It would have been easy for him to turn a blind eye, to turn you or Hyunjin in for the crimes you’d both committed. But he’d chosen to be better. He’d chosen not to be afraid, when he had every reason to be.

“All I want is you.” Tim pulled back to look up at you, eyes dark and affectionate. Brimming with emotion as his hands skimmed up to your waist. “It doesn’t matter how. Just… just you, Areum.”

“Then you’ll have me.”

You clasped his face in your hands and kissed him, pouring every ounce of your hunger into it. Scraped your teeth over his bottom lip, swallowed his startled moans and pressed him back into the sofa. A gentle pressure, just enough to take control without aggravating the wounds you’d just cleaned. Tim was pliant, eager to match your hunger with his own, fingers slipping up your thighs to rest just below the short hem of your dress. A quiet request for permission, a questioning touch. In answer, you placed one hand over his own and slid it up under your dress.

His breath hitched as he curled his fingers into the top of your stockings. Slowly, hesitantly, he began to pull them down, stopping only at the bend of your knees. You could feel the callouses on his palms, the tips of his fingers, as he mapped out the skin of your thighs. Stopped just at the apex, a breath away from the hem of your panties. Breaking the kiss, you pressed your forehead to his, breathed in the warm, welcoming smell of him.

“Let me touch you first,” you breathed, lips twitching before you added a soft, “ _oppa_.”

Lust overwhelmed his scent, his eyes going wide as you gave him a wolfish grin. You dusted soft kisses over his collarbone and chest, careful to avoid his scabbing wounds, as you slid off his lap and to your knees. Traced circles on his hips before you slowly, carefully unbuttoned and unzipped his pants. His breath came in short, frantic bursts as he watched you, knees spread so that you could settle between them. He arched his hips so you could pull off his slacks, careful not to jostle you as he slipped his feet out and let you toss them aside.

Resting your cheek against his thigh, you took a moment to simply admire him. The pale scars that littered his skin, some faded and others more recent. The still healing wounds you’d left on his ribs and arm, permanent reminders of the beast you tried to keep so firmly leashed inside of you. His lean musculature, the way he tensed and relaxed under your touch. Dark mussed hair that fell in his eyes, kiss swollen lips that parted in a soft sigh when you palmed his erection through the thin silk of his briefs.

“You’re beautiful,” you whispered to him, meaning it from the bottom of your heart.

His answering smile was strained, fingers shaking as they slipped the pins from your hair, let it fall loose over your shoulders. A gentle, trembling touch to the swell of your cheek before he combed his fingers through your hair, open admiration in his gaze. Open and vulnerable, skin flushed when you nuzzled into his thigh.

“Thank you,” he murmured, the words trailing off into a gasp.

The grip in your hair tightened as you pulled down his briefs, sat up so that you could wrap your fingers around his cock. He was painfully hard, despite how little you’d touched him up until that point. So eager, so responsive. Tipping his head back, Tim made a strangled noise as you slowly stroked him, hips twitching up as he thrust into your hand.

“God,” he whined, “Areum…”

“Shh.” You giggled, twisting your wrist and delighting in the way he gripped the hair at the back of your neck. “I’m only just getting started.”

Whatever his response had been was lost in a strangled moan as you took him into your mouth. Salty and heavy against your tongue, you kept your fingers wrapped around the base of his cock, watching him. Hollowed out your cheeks, delighting in the way he thrust further into your mouth, almost choking you. It would have been easy to pin his hips down, to overpower him and take what you wanted. But you let him fuck your mouth instead, his grip in your hair almost painful as he panted and gasped. Broken curses in a mixture of English and Korean spilled past his lips before he finally pulled your mouth off of him with a sharp tug.

Lipstick smeared, drool dripping down your chin and eyes watering, you blinked up at him as he tried to catch his breath. You licked your lips, smirking at the way he twitched in response.

“Bed,” he gasped.

“What?” you asked, throat raw.

“Bed,” Tim repeated, eyes narrowing before he tugged at your hair again. A spike in his scent, possessive look in his eyes. “I… I want to taste you, too.”

“Oh.” You quirked an eyebrow, thighs clenching at the thought. “I never would have guessed you to be so… bold.”

A low growl rose at the back of his throat as he stood up, hauling you over his shoulder. You let out a startled laugh as he rushed down the hall to the bedroom, tossing you onto the mattress. He shoved off his briefs, tossing them away before he joined you. Tim laid on his back, held his hand out to you.

“Come on,” he whispered. “You on top.”

You weren’t about to argue. All too eager to obey, you took his hand, let him coax you closer. With a deep breath, you straddled his chest facing away from him, his hands on your hips. Urging you closer, he flipped the skirt of your dress up. You settled down on your elbows, rested your cheek against his knee as your breath hitched. His fingers skimmed up your thighs, lingered on your ass before he pulled your panties down your thighs. You got up just long enough to kick them and your stockings off before he was eagerly pulling you back towards him again, giving you no warning before he gave a long, slow lick to your pussy.

Your arms gave out as you choked back a moan, legs trembling as he let out a pleased hum.

“Tastes good,” he whispered before he dove back in.

It took a feat of strength for you to push yourself back up, panting as he ate you out. Biting back a growl of your own, you took his cock back in your hand, felt the vibration of his moan against you as you took him deep as you could. Salty taste of precum on your tongue, you rocked your hips back against him, whimpered when he sucked at your clit and pushed two fingers inside you. Pleasure pooled warm and molten in your belly as he worked you towards your climax, his own cock twitching. Neither of you were going to last much longer, a shamefully short amount of time passing before you were coming undone. As you twitched and moaned around his cock, he came as well, spilling warm down your throat. You only pulled off only once you’d swallowed all his cum, gasping and panting for breath.

Tim still hadn’t relented, continuing to work you through your orgasm and already sending you closer to a second one. His mouth alternated between suckling at your clit and plunging his tongue inside of you to join his fingers, throaty moans leaving him in his post-orgasm haze, refusing to stop. When you came the second time, you swore you blacked out for a second, something close to a scream leaving you as your head fell to rest against his hip. You rolled off of him only once he’d finally slipped his fingers out of you, not bothering to fix your dress.

Breath coming in shallow gasps, Tim chuckled, sitting up and brushing hair back from your face.

“You okay?” he asked, voice tender.

“Where did you learn to do that with your mouth?” you gasped, staring up at him in awe.

“Steph was a pretty good teacher.” Tim grinned, letting you rest your head on his thigh. “That and I watched a _lot_ of porn as a teenager.”

“More lesbians should teach guys about oral sex.” You laughed, shivering as his fingertips skimmed over your leg. “I need to thank her when I get home.”

Tim just chuckled again, gaze fond as he continued to stroke your skin. Pressing a kiss to a scar just above his knee, you sat up, wiping at your mouth with the back of your hand and grimacing at the smear of lipstick left behind.

“Must look like a mess,” you mumbled.

“I think it’s hot,” he told you.

“You’re a little biased,” you pointed out.

A smile was his only answer as you wiped off what remained of your lipstick. He waited until you were done before he leaned forward to kiss you deep. Your taste lingered on his lips, and you had no doubt that he could taste himself on yours, too. Lipstick was smeared on his skin, too, but he didn’t seem to mind. A small form of possession, marks that could be washed off, but were to be worn with pride until then. Deepening the kiss, you wrapped your arms around him, let him slowly pull down the zipper on your dress.

Once he’d finished unzipping you, you giggled against his lips, his hungry fingers already tugging at the dress.

“Already so eager to go again?” you asked, pulling back.

“Always. I mean, god, look at you.” He grinned, letting you scoot back and watching as you pulled your dress off over your head.

Sitting naked in front of him, you tried not to preen as he openly admired you. Although he’d seen you in various states of undress before, there was quiet awe and raw appreciation in his expression as he sat back. Tilting your head to the side, you smirked.

“Hot, right?”

Laughing, he shook his head.

“I was going to say gorgeous, but hot works too,” he admitted.

Letting him press you onto your back, you grinned up at him as he skimmed his fingers over your tattoos, starting at your hip, skimming over your ribs and belly, hesitating before he moved up your sternum between your breasts and letting his hand rest on your shoulder. Sitting back on his heels with your legs braced on either side of his hips, he ran his hands down your arms and gently gripped your wrists.

“Why did you decide to get the tattoos?” he asked, voice soft.

“A few different reasons.” You sighed, relaxing back into the pillows. “I just think it’s amazing, the art that can be put on skin by a skilled tattoo artist. But it also… I don’t know. It made me feel more comfortable with my human skin. Like I owned it, instead of just borrowing it. Like painting the walls of a house to know that you own it.”

Tim let out a soft hum, hands skimming back up your arms again. Leaning forward, he braced his arms on either side of your head with a gooey smile. Less lust in his scent, more warm affection. Even though you lay naked beneath him, he seemed more concerned with kissing you, soft and slow. Your fingers threaded into his hair, eyes slipping closed as he kissed you over and over again. A soft intimacy that bled into a warm, easy lust.

Arching your back as his hands cupped your breasts, you moaned softly into the kiss, head tipping back as he kissed his way down the column of your throat. His hips pressed into yours, teeth skimming over your collarbone. He was already hard again, panting against the skin of your chest.

“Condoms?” you whispered, voice breaking as his thumbs brushed over your nipples.

“Yeah… yeah, one second.”

Tim pressed a few more kisses to your sternum before he pulled away, fumbled in the nightstand. He sat back up with a triumphant grin with a foil packet in his fingers.

“Ta-dah!”

Biting back a laugh, you smirked up at him as he ripped open the wrapper with his teeth. You shuffled back against the headboard, giving him space as he rolled on the condom. He pulled you back to him by the hips, lifting them up before he slid inside you. A low moan slipped from your lips, his grip tightening on you as he took a moment to catch his breath. His cock was warm and heavy in you, the stretch uncomfortable at first. But Tim gave you a moment to adjust, pupils dilated as he watched you.

“Okay?” he managed to grind out, voice tight.

“Yeah,” you gasped, shifting your hips to take him deeper. “F-fuck…”

Tim made a choked noise, head falling forward as he gave a slow, shallow thrust. Rolling your hips up to meet his, you clutched at his shoulders. It didn’t take long before he sped up, bracing his hands by your head as you wrapped your legs around his waist. Something animal took over him then, a shift in his eyes as he began to pound into you relentlessly. You cried out over and over, nails raking down his back as you tried to keep pace.

“Fuck,” he choked out, jaw clenched and eyes squeezed shut. His pace was bruising, reaching deep as he shifted your hips to push his cock into you at a different angle. “You feel s-so fucking… g-good…”

You reached down to rub at your clit, desperate to reach your third climax for the night. From the way he was twitching inside of you, the feral noises he was making, you knew he was close. Burying his face in your chest, Tim cried out as he came, gave a few more hard, sloppy thrusts into your pulsing core before he stilled. You tipped over the edge shortly after, heels digging into the small of his back as you whined, hand falling away to rest next to your hip.

Panting, you both took a moment to recover, still basking in the warm afterglow. You stared up at the ceiling, shifting your sore hips after Tim slipped out of you. He pulled off the condom, tying it off and lazily tossing it into the trashbin next to the bed. Skin still flushed, you turned to look at him. He gave you a tired smile, let you tuck yourself against his side.

“You’re bleeding,” you murmured, fingertips brushing over one of the scratches that had cracked open, a slow trickle of blood oozing out.

“’s fine,” he mumbled with a crooked grin. “Worth it.”

You laughed, tucking your face into his throat and scenting him as his fingers drifted lazily over your ribs. Your jaw ached with the urge to mark him, toes curling at how tempting his scent was. But you weren’t going to give in. Not that easily. Instead, you pressed a few gentle kisses against his pulse.

“You’ve got bruises,” Tim whispered, fingertips brushing feather-light over the dark bruise blooming over your side. “I… I didn’t hurt you more, did I?”

“No.” Sure, it stung, but the pleasure had overwhelmed it. “They’ll be gone in the morning.”

The morning. When you woke up, you’d have to face reality again. Escape your little cocoon and deal with the aftermath of the gala. You would have to tell Hyunjin that the man he’d devoted his entire adult life to had betrayed him. You’d have to tell your mother and your brothers that you weren’t safe in Gotham anymore, not the way you had been before. Being a Wolf now put a target on your back, since you doubted the Gotham elite would take the attack well.

“Hey.” Tim pulled back, propped himself up to look down at you. “It’s gonna be okay.”

“You don’t know that.” You sighed, looking away from him. “I… I don’t know what’s going to happen after tonight.”

“Neither do I,” he admitted. “But that’s okay. We’ll figure it out. I promise.”

You wanted to find some comfort in his words, but came up empty. He meant it, you knew that. As long as he was by your side, Tim would do his best to solve any problems that you faced. Each beat of his heart, each breath he took assured you that he was with you, no matter what. You could feel it, a bone deep assurance. But that didn’t mean he would succeed.

It would be a fight. That was what you knew. A long knock-down, drag-out fight to prove that you weren’t monsters, not really. It was easy for you to pass as human, of course, but what about your brothers? Your nephews? Their control was shakier, more likely to snap under pressure. Hell, most of the underground in Koreatown and Chinatown probably knew what Hyunjin was. Even if—no, even _when_ Shin died (because if you didn’t kill him, Hyunjin would), you would still have to be careful.

Because no one with real power would be there for you. Not in the way it mattered.

You wished that you had that power. That you already had a law degree in hand to protect your pack, the other packs trying to live quietly in the city. But that was still a couple of years out. Maybe Tim and Grayson could talk Wayne into some quiet monetary support, but you didn’t know if you could count on him to lend you vocal support, too. Not when it was your people who’d attacked him.

“I hope so,” you whispered back to him, letting him brush lazy kisses over your face. “I hope so.”

Tim curled himself around you, held you close as he drifted off to sleep, limbs tangled with yours. But even in the afterglow, the quiet satisfaction the Wolf felt at successful mating, you couldn’t quite lose yourself to the bliss. You tried to lose yourself in his scent, closed your eyes and tucked your face into his neck, listened to the slow beat of his heart and his soft snores.

But you still fell asleep feeling troubled, worrying about what the next day would bring.

\---

The soft, distant drone of the TV roused you, a whine escaping you when you realized Tim wasn’t still in bed with you. Rubbing at your eyes, you slipped out from under the blanket that had been tossed over you and shuffled down the hall. Not bothering to grab any clothes, you walked into the living room, yawning as Tim looked up at you.

“Morning,” you mumbled, ignoring the flush that rose to his face. “Any news yet?”

“Uh.” He cleared his throat, tearing his gaze from your chest to focus on the TV instead. “Yeah, actually.”

Moving behind him, you draped your arms over his shoulders and yawned again, blinking at the screen. He’d turned the volume down until it was barely audible, likely to try and let you sleep in. But you focused in on the anchor’s voice, leaning against the back of the chair and resting your chin on top of Tim’s head.

“…confirmed that the two teenagers who attacked the Wayne gala last night are in police custody,” she said, mask of careful concern firmly in place. “Sources have told us that they are both in critical condition and are currently receiving urgent medical care.”

“Wait,” you muttered, “what?”

Tim stiffened as well, sitting up straighter in the chair.

The rest of the story faded into the background, heart pounding in your ears. When you’d left, they were fine. Unconscious and a bit roughed up, but nothing that would put them in a critical condition. Unless the toxin had changed. Unless something had been added that reacted poorly to the antidote that Tim had synthesized. He was already pulling out his phone, cursing under his breath as he pulled up one of his contacts.

“Jason’s supposed to be keeping an eye on them,” he muttered. “Dick had to take Koshka home and Bruce had to put together a statement about the whole thing. Maybe he knows what’s going on.”

Letting him stand and walk out of the room to call Todd, you continued to stare blankly at the screen. They were showing footage of the destruction, broken glass littering the ornate ballroom and highlighting isolated spots of dried blood. There were no reports of people dying, but enough had been injured to warrant treating it as a serious terrorist attack. A war against the rich and powerful, with the police doubtless ready to pull no punches in order to please their corporate masters.

By the time Tim came back, you’d moved to sit in the armchair, frowning at the screen. The news had moved on to some feel-good piece about an area in Old Gotham that was being gentrified, the anchor’s concerned mask replaced with one of painfully fake joy. A low growl rumbled in your chest as you looked up, hands curled into fists.

“Pretty shortly after they were taken into police custody, both kids had seizures and were unresponsive. Apparently both of them have been having a series of seizures since they got to the hospital,” he explained, voice low. “Jason’s got an informant who works in the hospital they’re at that’s keeping him in the loop on their conditions, but he’s got no idea what exactly triggered it. Still waiting to hear about any MRI or CAT scan results. They’re stable, but still critical.”

“It’s too convenient,” you snarled, hugging your knees to your chest. “They recovered consciousness and were totally fine before the seizures, right?”

“Yep,” he confirmed, squatting in front of you. “A little bruised and very scared and confused, but otherwise fine. Jason was watching the interrogation room feeds when it happened. Although to be fair, there’s a good chance that these kids have been exposed to dangerous amounts of the toxin several times a day for several weeks now. It wouldn’t be too big of a logical leap that they’d have a bad reaction to it, especially combined with emotional distress and trauma.”

“If we’d taken them with us—”

“They probably still would have ended up in the hospital,” Tim interrupted. “Don’t blame yourself for this.”

“Well, who the fuck else am I supposed to blame?” you snapped, teeth bared. “I abandoned them.”

“You should blame the person who dosed them.” He moved to place a comforting hand on your arm, frowning. “The one who treated them like lab rats and pushed them to this point. Whether it’s really Shin behind it or Crane or the triads, they’ll get what’s coming to them.”

Logically, what he said made sense. It wasn’t your fault. But the Wolf inside of you screamed that it was, that everything would have been fine if you had just done what you should have and ignored Tim, dragged the kids out of there. Guilt sat heavy in your gut, even as Tim tried to comfort you, brushing hair from your face and wiping at your smudged makeup. You didn’t realize you were crying until you tasted the salt on your lips, saw the way his face morphed into concern.

“Areum?” he asked, voice soft.

“They’re just pups,” you whispered, voice breaking. “I should have protected them.”

“We can’t change what happened. This is on me. I made the call to leave them.” He tried to smile, but it was a little too jagged around the edges. “We need to focus on getting justice for them now. Okay?”

Justice. A purely human concept. Wolves believed in punishment, swift and decisive. It was what had drawn you to study law, a desire to understand how humans dealt with their criminals. But now? Now you didn’t give a shit about law or justice. You wanted revenge. You wanted punishment. Blood and rage and nothing else. Swiping angrily at your face and swallow back a second wave of angry tears, you glared down at Tim.

None of this was his fault, of course. You weren’t angry at him. He was just doing his best. When he flinched, you sighed and rubbed at your eyes.

“I’m sorry,” you mumbled. “It’s just… fuck. I didn’t want any of this to happen.”

“I know.”

“I just wanted to graduate and go to law school and live a nice, quiet life,” you continued, heels of your hands pressed to your closed eyes. “Now I have to deal with all of this bullshit. Not to mention my family is probably freaking out about this.”

“I can’t say I blame them if they are freaking out.”

When you cracked one eye open, Tim was smiling up at you. Still cautious, but trying his best.

“You’re going to help me take down Shin, right?” you asked.

“Of course.” He snorted, raising an eyebrow. “You couldn’t get rid of me at this point if you wanted to, Areum.”

“Okay.” You took a deep breath. Losing your cool any further than you already had wasn’t going to help you any. Especially with the news you were going to have to deliver. “You worry about those two kids, see if you can find the others. We can’t afford for their to be another attack, not right now. Maybe Wayne will be willing to use some of his fancy medical tech to help them recover.”

“I have a couple of contacts in Kurokawa Pharma, too,” Tim said. “Their CEO might be willing to help out, too. She’s been making a big push to have emergency kits in every home in Gotham, just in case something like this happened. Put the idea in her ear…” He shrugged. “She’s worked with Wayne Tech before. She seems clean, would give her good PR optics to help those kids recover.”

“I guess it wouldn’t hurt,” you grumbled.

“Sumiko Kurokawa has a background in neurology. She’s one of the best people to turn to for help with this.”

“Fine.” You grimaced when you saw all the smudged eyeliner on your hands. “Hopefully she’ll be willing to help out. It would be nice to have some open support from one of the rich people in this fucking city.”

“I’ll do what I can to get her involved.” Tim stood up with you as you slipped out of the chair, averting his gaze. “Uh, Bruce’ll probably be willing to help out, too.”

You grunted. Getting two filthy rich people to give a shit about poor kids who’d crashed their party to kill them seemed like a bit of a reach. But Tim knew both of them better than you did, so you weren’t going to question it. You stretched, letting out a soft whine at the lingering soreness in your ribs. The bruise was almost fully healed, but a bit of pain still lingered.

“What are you going to do?” Tim asked, trailing after you like a lost pup as you headed to the bathroom.

“Well first, I’m going to take a shower and wash my face, because I feel filthy in this skin,” you said, pulling back the shower curtain and glancing at him. “Then I’m going to break the bad news to Hyunjin and do what I can to hunt down Shin.” You gave him a sly grin. “Wanna join me?”

Tim answered your question by immediately throwing off the pajama pants he’d put on, all too eager to accept your offer. Turning on the hot water, you washed off the remains of your make up before turning and letting Tim press you against the shower wall, kissing you so hard the back of your head almost glanced off the hard surface. Not that you were complaining. You were glad for the distraction, fingers tangling in his hair as he lowered himself to his knees. Although you’d expected him to be sleepy and lazy so early in the morning, you found, much to your delight, that he was _very_ energetic when it came to eating you out, no matter the hour.

By the time he’d gotten his fill and you’d gotten yours (washing your face _again_ after he came on it), the water had gone cold and you quickly washed up. Tim let you shampoo and condition his hair, bending down so you could reach it better and making soft, dreamy little sounds as you massaged his scalp. It was nice, domestic. Normal. Since he’d left a sizable number of marks on your thighs and collarbones, Tim let you borrow a pair of his sweatpants and one of his high collared hoodies. Combing out your hair with your fingers, you watched him as he got dressed, pleased at the marks you’d left on him in return.

If anyone saw him without a shirt on in the next few days, he’d have a bit of explaining to do.

Stepping up to him, you fixed the collar of his shirt, smoothed your hands down his chest. Tim watched you, didn’t say anything as you processed the moment. Processed your feelings.

After all of this, nothing would be the same. You still remembered the wave of paranoia that had swept the city after the Babel Casino incident in Bludhaven. Gallons upon gallons of liquor had been discarded, tests to check if drinks were spiked carried around by every citizen of legal drinking age. Even over a year later, alcohol sales had gone down at the Iceberg Lounge, the fear of something like Babel happening again still lingering. Wolves attacking high society would have some impact, too. Maybe not in the lives of every day Gothamites, more of a blip on their radar of one more horror happening in the city. But the elite wouldn’t be so quick to forgive and forget.

Hell, you were pretty sure you’d seen the mayor at the gala. Anyone with money or dreams of making money would be on high alert. But that was a future concern. Something to deal with once the threat was taken care of, once you knew that the other pups were going to be okay. Once the pups you’d abandoned were able to recover.

“I’m really glad that I met you, Tim,” you told him, unable to express your feelings outside of that single phrase.

It was the best you had. Your emotions were too complicated, too confusing. Too much. You were worried it would be insulting, that it wouldn’t be enough. But he smiled, leaned down to press his forehead to yours.

“I’m really glad that I met you, too.” His voice was gentle, pitched low. Just for you, no one else. “We’ll get through this.”

“Yeah. We will.”

With his heart beating strong and steady beneath your palm, your scent lingering with his, you found that you almost believed it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please forgive any potential errors, as i edited this very quickly before posting up here. if you catching anything, please feel free to let me know.
> 
> [recommended listening!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYEaI5y7QaM)
> 
> sumiko kurokawa belongs to the lovely [mari](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bringmetea) and will be making future appearances in this fic and others. look forward to it!! i know i am.
> 
> thank you as always for reading. love y'all. be kind to yourselves.


	16. Fearless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> chapter warnings: emotional distress, unhealthy coping mechanisms, mention of domestic violence
> 
> _new me, new night, i am born into a new me  
>  smashing this wall, i will no longer be afraid_

Cheoljin was already waiting for you when you climbed the stairs to his apartment, leaning against the door with a pinched expression.

“You saw the news,” you said as you approached him.

“I saw the news,” he confirmed. He looked exhausted, his usually neat appearance rumpled and unkempt. “How bad do you think it’s going to be?”

“I don’t know.” You crossed your arms, glancing at the door. “How’s Hyunjin?”

The pained frown he gave you was answer enough. Heaving a sigh, you tried to brace yourself for what you would undoubtedly find. Where you and Cheoljin tended to be the most even-tempered of your siblings, more likely to err on the side of logic, Hyunjin was undoubtedly the most emotionally volatile. He always had been, both unable and unwilling to reign in his temper. It was easy to get him riled up, easy to bring out the worst of him to the point where it was sometimes hard to see the bit of good that was still there.

“Great,” you grumbled as Cheoljin opened the door for you.

The first thing that hit you upon entering your oldest brother’s apartment was the _smell._ It reeked of hormones and sweat, your shoulders tensing as he closed the door behind you. It was hard to tell where Hyunjin was, because the whole place smelled like his fury. The second thing you noticed was that Cheoljin’s furniture had been completely destroyed. Upholstery ripped open, stuffing torn out, cushions thrown about. There was a hole in the TV where a fist had gone through it, the coffee table turned over and stains on the carpet from spilt coffee. Jaw clenched, you glanced back at your older brother.

“Where is he?” you asked, voice tight.

“Guest room,” Cheol told you.

Even though he had every right to be furious, to kick your twin out and refuse to take him back in, he hadn’t. Anger didn’t radiate off of him, just a deep sadness. What did it say about him, about both of you, that you no longer reacted to this kind of destruction with horror or anger? Sighing, you stepped closer, letting Cheol rest his head on your shoulder, your fingers carding through his hair.

“Are you okay?” you whispered.

“As okay as I can be,” he mumbled back, tucking his nose into your neck and scenting you. Shoulders slumping in relief at a familiar, soothing scent, he wrapped an arm around you in a half-hearted hug. “He won’t talk to me, but…”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

Both of you knew that if there was anyone in the family Hyunjin would actually open up to, it was you. Of course, there was always the chance that it would devolve into violence too, anger overwhelming him to the point of lashing out again. But it was a much smaller chance with you. Although Hyunjin had hurt you plenty of times in the past, lashed out physically and verbally, he was gentler with you. More likely to let you see his heart and try to patch it up a bit.

“I’ll help you clean up once I’m done with Jin,” you offered, pulling back from your older brother. “And hopefully talk him into helping, too. We’ll see. It… well, it might get worse before it gets better.”

Brow furrowing at your ominous statement, Cheoljin chewed at his lip for a moment before he simply gave you a slow nod. He knew that sometimes, with Hyunjin, things sometimes had to get to the breaking point before they could be fixed.

“Just be careful, okay?” he said.

“I will.” With a half-hearted grin, you reached up to pat his head, fixing his messy hair. “And I’ll buy your drinks next time we go out.”

Giving a little snort, Cheol motioned for you to go ahead. He lingered for a moment as you headed down the hall towards the guest room, heaving a soft sigh before he retreated to the kitchen. Food fixed everything, a lesson you’d learned from your mother as a child, and Cheol was no doubt thinking the same thing. By the time you emerged (hopefully with your twin in tow), he’d likely have a full breakfast prepared and ready to eat. At least you would have that to look forward to.

Because, standing in front of the guest room door and smelling the waves of fury that were radiating off your twin, you were tempted to turn tail and give in. Taking a deep breath, you opened the door, stepping into the room and immediately tensing up.

Hyunjin was crouched in one corner of the room, a low, threatening growl rising in his throat as he glared at you. The whole room was trashed, looking like a tornado had ripped through it. Stepping carefully over the shattered remains of a picture frame, you held your hands out in front of you, speaking in a low, non-threatening voice.

“It’s just me, Jinnie,” you stepped over a shredded pillow, stopping to kneel a few feet in front of him. “I wanted to come and talk to you. Make sure you’re doing okay.”

“You smell like _him_ ,” Hyunjin snarled, eyes flashing in the dark.

Ah, shit. You hadn’t even considered that coming to see your twin smelling like Tim would make things worse. Rolling your eyes, you tugged at the sleeves of the hoodie you’d borrowed from him.

“Oh my god, please get over it,” you sighed. “I’m allowed to date and sleep with whoever I want. Do I need to remind you that Tim is helping us out? More specifically, helping _you_ out, even though you’re a criminal.”

“If you just came here to lecture me, you can fuck off back to your rich _oppa_ ,” he snarled back at you, a tinge of hurt in his voice. “I don’t need more reminders of how I’ve fucked up, okay?”

“Hyunjin.” You scooted closer, resting your arms on your knees and keeping your voice even. “I say this with all of the love in the world: you are going to be reminded of how much you’ve fucked up a lot, especially in the near future, and you need to deal with it. I love you, but you have to face the consequences for your actions.”

“You sound like Dad,” he mumbled.

“No, I don’t.” You snorted, taking a chance to inch closer to him. “Dad would call you an irredeemable fuck up, punch you a couple of times, and then blame me or mom for it, too. I don’t want to pretend like all of this is your fault, because it’s not. But Jinnie…”

You hesitated. One way or another, you had to tell him about Shin. About your suspicions, about how he had trusted a man who was willing to sell him out.

“Just spit it out, Areum,” he said, anger slowly bleeding away from his voice. He just sounded tired, knees hugged tight to his chest. “You tip-toeing around this is really pissing me off.”

“You have to promise not to freak out on me,” you said, eyes narrowed.

Hyunjin just glared at you, curling further in on himself. With a heavy sigh, you scooted close enough to reach out and rest a hand on his knee. As stand-offish as he was acting, you knew that an instinctive part of him would be comforted by the touch, by the presence of one of his pack. You took a deep breath, giving his knee a gentle squeeze before you spoke.

“I ran into Shin at the gala last night,” you said, keeping your voice low, as soothing as you could. “He disappeared just a few moments before those pups were sent in and gassed. He… he also said some things that make me think he may be behind this whole thing.”

There was a long, terrible moment of silence as he absorbed your words, his eyes going wide with horror.

“… What?” he finally whispered, withering before your eyes. “Are you—”

“I’m sure,” you interrupted. “You know that I wouldn’t be telling you this unless I was sure. I don’t know to what extent he’s involved, at least not with any real certainty, but he’s definitely behind all of this to some extent. I… I think he may have orchestrated the whole thing as a power grab and is just using the triads and Scarecrow as a front, but—”

“Shut up,” he snarled. There was no real anger in it, no threat. Just heartbreak, real and sharp. “Just… just shut up.”

Heart aching for your twin, you fell obediently quiet for the moment. You watched as the full impact of your words hit him, his eyes going dull and his arms tightening around himself. What did it feel like, knowing that so many years of his life had been wasted? Knowing that he’d degraded himself, willingly killed and stolen and committed crimes for a man who had lied to him and used his family as pawns in some twisted scheme to take over the city? That first time you’d visited Hyunjin after he’d been kicked out, taken in by the Dragon’s Claw, he’d been so proud to show you the tattoos that marked him as a member. He’d been the happiest he’d been in years, finally finding a direction and path in life, as dark and twisted as it was.

“You’re saying that he took Tae and all those other kids?” he finally asked, voice barely above a whisper.

“He may not have physically been the one to kidnap them, but yeah.” You scooted closer, let your hand drift down to rest on his arm, instead of his knee.

“He’s the one who set up that ambush in Chinatown,” Hyunjin continued. “He’d been planning on selling me out to the triads to cover up what he was doing, but he threw you to them instead hoping that you’d all kill each other. He… he killed those kids that we found, didn’t he?”

“Yeah,” you confirmed. “The fact that he was at the gala, like the note said… I think it’s safe to say he’s the one who killed them.”

“Fuck.” His voice broke, eyes squeezed shut as he curled further in on himself. “ _Fuck.”_

Although there was a chance that he’d throw you off of him, bite and snarl and punch, you threw caution to the wind and leaned forward, pulling him into your arms. As tightly as you could, you embraced him, felt no small amount of relief when he buried his face in your shoulder and wrapped his arms around you. As he curled himself around you, trying to muffle his quiet sobs in the fabric of your hoodie, you gently rocked him, raked your fingers through his hair and did your best to comfort him. While you’d expected him to have another meltdown, to throw and break things, to lash out at you, he instead broke down, slowly crumbling in your arms. Maybe it was just too much. Maybe he simply didn’t have it in him to be angry anymore. You did your best to hold him together, humming as you rocked him, rubbed soothing circles into his back.

“What about the pups?” he finally asked, voice muffled against your shoulder.

“Tim is going to take care of them,” you told him, nails scraping gently over his scalp. “He’s going to make sure they get the best medical care possible, get some big pharma company in on it, too.”

“So, they’re going to profit off of our misery?” he growled, fingers tightening in your hoodie, a spike of fury in his scent. “Sell us what we need to pacify us and keep us from being the monsters that the rich fear?”

“I didn’t say that,” you sighed, rolling your eyes. “If you really think I’d let him do that, you have a shit opinion of me. No, he’s going to see if they’ll do it free of charge. Much as I hate to be treated as a charity case, it’s the best we can hope for at this point, Jinnie.”

“I don’t like it.”

“Yeah, well.” You snorted, nuzzling into his hair. “I didn’t think you would. But it’s the best I could do. At least for now.”

Another long moment of silence, the low, rumbling growl that built in Hyunjin’s chest was strangely comforting. It was good that he was angry. You much preferred it to his tears, to despair. That anger would fuel him, so long as he kept control over it, as he was in the moment. Finally, he pulled away from you, swiping angrily at his face and sniffling.

“Do you have a plan yet?” he asked you.

“Not yet,” you admitted, watching him carefully. “I wanted to talk to you, first. You’re the one who knows him. You’ve lived and worked with him for years. So, I want to let you decide what to do.”

Hyunjin snorted, slowly pushing himself to his feet.

“Not sure that letting the family fuck up run the show is the best idea,” he grunted.

Rolling your eyes, you also stood, picking up a few of the blankets and pillows he’d thrown around and gently placing them back on the bed.

“We’re all fuck ups, Jinnie. Just in different ways.” You picked up the shattered picture frame, careful not to cut yourself on the glass as you stared at the photo it had contained. You and all of your siblings, wearing your uniforms and big, enthusiastic grins. “But this isn’t something that I can do. It’s something that you can. I’m not asking you to go through some bullshit redemption arc or anything like that. But this is your chance at revenge against a man who used and manipulated you for years. And I want in on it, too.”

“Looking to shed that good daughter image, huh?” he asked with a crooked grin, helping you pick up the rest of the room. “It’s about fucking time.”

“Shut up,” you snarled, rolling your eyes once more. “Now, come on. Cheol’s making breakfast, and you need to help him pick up the mess you made out there.”

Just like that, his ego deflated, leaving him looking like a scolded puppy as you ushered him out of the room and back down the hall. Sure enough, Cheol had straightened up his tiny dining area, chairs and table righted and several dishes already laid out. Rice, kimchi jjigae, omelet rolls, left over bulgogi, pickled radish… it was all there, a feast for hearts in need of a bit of healing. Head still ducked, Hyunjin quietly took a seat, shaggy hair falling in his eyes. You sat across from him, eager to dig in. Cheol set a cup of coffee in front of each of you before setting down his own and sitting at the head of the little table.

“Feeling better?” he asked Hyunjin, no anger in his voice as he served your twin a bowl of rice.

“Kinda,” Hyunjin muttered, taking the rice and waiting for you to be served his before he dished up the rest of his food, being a bit greedier with the omelet rolls. “Sorry about… like, destroying shit.”

“I’m not going to say that it’s fine,” Cheol sighed. “That TV was expensive, and I’ll have to reupholster the furniture. But I get it. We’re all used to your tantrums, Jin.”

Slowly chewing on a bit of bulgogi, you looked between your brothers, watched the way Hyunjin tensed up. You could see the desire to start a fight in his expression, anger bubbling up. But he swallowed it back down, speaking through a mouthful of rice.

“I’ll pay for the damages,” he bit out. “And I’ll be out of your hair soon.”

“No offense,” you said, sipping at your coffee, “but do you have anywhere to go, Jinnie?”

“Probably not,” he admitted. “I’ll have to break into where I was staying to get whatever remains of my stuff. But I’ll figure it out.”

“You’re still welcome to stay here,” Cheol added. He wasn’t eating yet, just sat back in his chair and drank his coffee, sharp eyes watching Hyunjin. “So long as you chip in for rent and bills and try not to destroy my things whenever you get angry.”

Another twitch from Hyunjin, the way he shoved eggs in his mouth a bit more savage than was necessary. His jaw clenched, teeth grinding together as he held back his temper. You slumped in your chair, trying to focus on finishing your breakfast.

“I’m good,” Hyunjin snarled back, “thanks. Don’t want to rely on your charity any longer than I already have, _hyung._ ”

Cheoljin glanced over at you, eyes narrowed. A quiet demand for a bit of help, please, your twin was being difficult again. Swallowing your mouthful of kimchi jjigae, you gestured at Hyunjin with your chopsticks.

“Why don’t you stay with me and Steph for a bit?” you asked. “I’m sure she wouldn’t mind, as long as you don’t break anything.”

“Why do you keep saying that?” he snapped.

“Because you destroyed my apartment,” Cheol said, deadpan.

With a low growl, Hyunjin pushed away what remained of his breakfast, grip on his coffee mug white knuckled.

“I’ll stay with Areum and Steph,” he finally relented. “But only until this shit is all taken care of. Your pity is pissing me off.”

“Noted,” you sighed. Then, shifting the conversation before tempers flared again, “I’m gonna go check in on Mom. Do either of you want to come with me?”

“I think it’s best if we stay here and do what we can to repair the damage,” Cheol said. “Right, Hyunjin?”

The edge to his voice was a contrast to the mild smile that he shot at your twin, who shrank in his seat with a quiet whine. You both knew that tone of voice. It was the Punishment Voice, followed by either the Disappointment Talk or laps around the dojang and extended strength training. You suspected that Hyunjin would get the former once you left, and decided that you did not want to stick around long enough to get looped into it.

“Well,” you said, quickly finishing off your rice and standing up, “thanks for breakfast, Cheol. Let me know if you need anything else, ok?”

“Will do.” He sighed, setting down his coffee mug. “Thanks, Areum.”

“Anytime.” Your smile was genuine as you bent to kiss the top of his head. Then you turned back to Hyunjin, frowning at him. “Text me once you’re done fixing shit here, yeah? You can spend the night and we can get a plan together.”

Hyunjin just grunted, clearly displeased that you weren’t going to be around to try to deflect Cheoljin’s ire. But he deserved it. With a small wave you left the apartment, catching the telltale heavy sigh that _always_ started off one of Cheoljin’s Disappointment Talks.

Feeling only a little bad for your twin, you let the door shut quietly behind you, pulling your hood up as you made your way towards the dojang.

\---

The first sign that something was wrong was the silence that met you once you unlocked the apartment door, letting it swing closed behind you as you slipped off your shoes. The second sign was the shift in smells, something… missing. You couldn’t quite place it as you cautiously made your way down the hall and towards the living room.

“Mom?” you called out, heart in your throat. “Dad?”

No answer. When you finally found your mother in the living room, sitting quietly with her head in her hands, you almost slumped in relief. But there was something clearly not right with her, with the way she sat so still, didn’t even raise her head to greet you.

“Mom…?” you asked, hesitant as you reached out to place a hand on her back. “Are you okay?”

“Oh, sweetheart…” Your mother was slow to lift her head, eyes bloodshot and glazed when she looked up at you. Her face was a mess, makeup smeared and runny from tears. “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you come in.”

“Mom, what happened?” you demanded, crouching down next to her and taking her hands in yours. “Where’s Dad?”

“He left,” she admitted.

A beat of silence. You struggled to absorb her words, the weight of them. It was inevitable, you knew. Had been from the moment your father had first laid hands on your mother, set into motion when he’d kicked out Hyunjin. But now that it had happened, you weren’t sure how you felt about it. You were sad for your mother, of course. She’d believed in mating for life, had stuck by your father’s side even when she’d been miserable, for his sake and the sake of you and your siblings. But you were also shamefully glad that he was gone. That his cancerous presence had been excised, leaving a wound, but one that at least had a chance at healing. You didn’t hate your father, not really. You just hated what he’d done to you. What he’d done to your mother, your family.

“We agreed that it was for the best,” your mother continued, giving your hands a gentle squeeze. “I… it’s not permanent, but he thought it would be best for him to spend some time with his family in Daegu. There’s always a chance that he’ll come back. He still has the dojang, after all, and…”

She trailed off, gaze lowering to your hands. The chances of your father returning, you thought, were pretty slim. He was getting older, and he’d been talking about letting Cheoljin take over the dojang, anyways. There was nothing for him to return to. Not your mother, who had let him go. Not his children, who feared and reviled him. The community would miss him, but quietly evolve to accept the change.

Moving instinctively, you rested your head on your mother’s lap, trying to comfort her with your presence. She let out a watery laugh, gently stroking your hair and bending to press a gentle kiss to your cheek.

“What are we going to do, Mom?” you asked softly. “Everything… it’s all falling apart.”

“Oh, baby.” She sighed, gently massaging your scalp. “I know that things are hard right now, but that doesn’t mean things can’t get better. It’s just a new challenge for all of us.”

“Did you see the news?”

“Jinwoo called me and told me.” Your mother’s voice was soft, comforting. “Poor Mina was beside herself and worried about the twins. Jintae decided to come back here later today. He was being very brave, but I think he’s scared too.”

Of course he was scared. How many times had your baby brother been exposed to the gas? How much damage had been done to his brain, an invisible threat? If Tim was successful in getting Kurokawa involved, if they were able to find some kind of treatment… You’d need to find a way to get your brother treated, too. Not only Tae, but Hyunjin, too.

“I’m going to fix all of this,” you murmured, raising your head to look up at your mother. “Or at least do what I can.”

She gave you a small, sad smile, smoothing her thumb over your cheekbone. The fondness in her eyes was warm, filled you with a deep sense of comfort, pooling in your heart.

“I know you will, baby,” she told you. “You’ve always been the most responsible of your siblings. Always stepping up to solve problems. But you don’t have to do it alone. You’re allowed to lean on the people you love.”

“I know,” you sighed. “Are you going to be okay, Mom?”

“I’ll be fine.”

Eventually, she would. You knew it, deep in your bones. For as sweet and submissive as your mother had always acted, she’d never been weak. It took strength to raise the family she’d raised, courage to face each morning with a spouse who grew to resent her more and more. Only someone with a core of steel could face the things that she had faced with a smile on her face. You stood, determined to take care of her, for once.

“I’ll stay with you until Tae gets here,” you said, rolling up the sleeves of your sweatshirt. “It’s been a while since I’ve made kimchi or anything, but I’ll make some for you. You’re probably running low, right?”

“Areum—”

“Nope.” You held up a hand, cutting her off with a grin. “It’s about time I paid you back for all the meals you made for me and Steph. With Tae around here on winter break, you’ll need all the help you can get. It’s the least I can do, to help out.”

You’d expected your mother to push back, to insist that she at least help. The kitchen was her territory, after all, the food she made a source of pride for her. But much to your surprise, she just smiled, giving you a small nod.

“That would be nice,” she said. “Thank you, baby.”

“You’re welcome.” Bending down, you pressed a kiss to the top of her head before you made your way to the kitchen to get to work.

By the time Tae got to the house a few hours later, you’d made enough kimchi to last at least a week, huge tubs of pickled radish, and a bit of bulgogi for them to have later for dinner. Your mother had turned on the radio, helping you pack up all the food and stack it in the fridge, both of you singing along to old trot songs.

Upon seeing her youngest child, your mother had immediately switched into doting mode, her face washed and no sign of heartbreak visible. Instead, she clutched Tae to her, fretting over him while he grumbled and pretended to hate the attention. Once he was free of your mother, you ruffled his hair, forcing him into a tight hug that you knew he enjoyed, deep down.

Leaving your family home with garlic and chili flakes stuck under your nails, your mother’s parting kiss to your cheek still warming your skin, you couldn’t help but feel a little bit of hope.

Maybe things had to get worse before they would get better. Maybe you would trip and fall again, struggle and claw your way back up. Maybe things would be hard for your family, an invisible threat hovering over your heads.

But it was okay. Because, deep down, you knew that you would all get through it. And you would come out stronger on the other side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a bit of a filler chapter, but i figured we all needed a bit of a breather before we get into the climax!! also we needed to check in on areum's family (or at least most of her family lol sorry jinwoo). hit a bit of a wall working on this chapter, so i apologize for it coming out a bit later than usual. i'm hoping to get the last few chapters out at a faster rate, but we'll see.
> 
> if you like my works and you'd like to support me, [you can support me over on ko-fi!!](https://ko-fi.com/difficultheart) leave a request in your message if you do buy me a kofi, and i'll write you a drabble! you can check out the requests i've written so far [here!](https://spidergwenn.tumblr.com/tagged/violet-writes) i'm still unemployed and trying to find a new job, so any little bit helps.
> 
> thanks as always for reading. love y'all! be safe, be kind to yourselves.


	17. 대취타

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> chapter warnings: violence, gore, character death
> 
> _i got no pretensions, just kill 'em all  
>  ain't no exceptions, i watch you fall_

Walking towards the abandoned warehouse in Tricorner, you couldn’t help but feel like you were heading straight into certain doom. The plan you and Hyunjin had come up with felt ironclad, with backups for your backups, but there was always room for error. Neither of you really knew what Shin was, what he was capable of, and that left a huge grey area when it came to potential success and failure. Placing the bait had been easy, with Jason Todd agreeing to help you out with it and ensuring that Shin had taken it hook, line, and sinker.

Hyunjin pressed his head against your hip when you paused in front of the building, letting out a soft whine. He’d slipped into his wolf skin, fur warm and comforting as you sank your fingers into it, gently scratching him just below the scruff of his neck.

“You good?” Jason Todd’s voice crackled over the earpiece, soft and subdued. “Not too late to backout and try again.”

“I’m good.” You glanced down at your twin, his ears flicking in agitation. “We’re both good.”

Although you were glad to have Todd’s firepower to back you up, you couldn’t quite shake your nerves. Something was going to change in that warehouse, but you weren’t sure whether it would be for good, or if it would only make the situation even worse than it already was. You could faintly smell Shin, his presence setting you on edge. Hyunjin had tensed next to you as well, low growl rumbling in his chest.

You had to do this. For your family. For your community. For yourself. Taking a deep breath, you tugged open the rolling door of the warehouse and stepped inside.

“Wondered when you were going to show up,” Youngho Shin said, grinning at you.

Tensing, you took a moment to glance around the room. Your eyes adjusted to the darkness, shifting enough so that you could spot any threats that lurked in the darkness. But there was nothing. Only rotting cardboard and rusting metal, the smell of dust and decay. Either Shin was overly confident about facing you, or he’d hid his contingency plans very well.

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” you said, grinning. “We were aiming for fashionably late.”

Shin held up the note that had been left in his apartment, quirking an eyebrow.

“Not very fashionable to copy someone else’s work. Same format as my own note? I thought at least one of you would be creative.”

“We had other things to worry about.” Your nose wrinkled, picking up on Todd’s scent as he slipped in through the roof. “Like, y’know, all the people on TV going on about how we’re a threat.”

“Ah, yeah, that.” Shin sighed, tossing aside the note and shoving his hands in his pockets. “Sorry about that. But sometimes you gotta make sacrifices to see the change you want in the world. Besides, those rich fucks squawking on TV won’t be around too much longer.”

Hyunjin growled, head lowered and dropped into a crouch. Ready to attack at a moment’s notice. Normally, you would’ve tried to calm him down, tried to get him to go with the non-violent option. But you weren’t feeling particularly pacifistic. Not with your little brother’s life potentially hanging in the balance. Not with your mother wondering if she should just sell the dojang and move. Not with Jinwoo and the pups terrified to step outside the house.

“Look, Shin.” You sighed, placing your hands on your hips. “We all hate the rich and famous, okay? But slaughtering them doesn’t help anyone. You should know better than anyone that even those of us slumming it have crazy dreams about being millionaires one day, too.”

“We have eyes in the warehouse,” Tim whispered into the radio.

Convincing him to stay behind and monitor the situation instead of crashing in with you had not been easy. He’d wanted to be there with you, fighting by your side. But you didn’t want him too involved. If things went as planned, Shin would be dead before the end of the night, and you didn’t want that on Tim’s conscious. The further away he was, the further you could keep him from what had to be done. Todd had no such reservations about killing. In fact, when you’d asked him to get in on your plan, he’d looked ecstatic.

One less motherfucker on the streets, he’d said.

Trying your best not to look up at his perch on top of a rusty shipping container so you wouldn’t alert Shin to his presence, you rested a hand on Hyunjin’s back. A silent warning to stand down, at least for the moment.

“Is this an intervention?” Shin asked, looking amused.

“Mm, of a kind.” You shrugged, desperately trying to look casual. Unconcerned. “Since I was on the debate team back in high school, I was hoping that maybe we could talk this out first. Try to see if we can come to an agreement.”

That got a snort out of him. Shin moved to lean against one of the support columns, no shred of concern shown for the openly hostile giant wolf at your side.

“Alright, little sister.” He waved a hand, giving you a crooked grin. “Do your thing. Let’s see you put all that fancy law knowledge to use.”

“No pressure,” Todd muttered into the radio with a dark chuckle.

Resisting the urge to roll your eyes, you took a deep breath. Everyone there knew that there was no getting out of the situation without blood being spilled. But you at least wanted to figure out what Shin’s plans were, what had brought him to this point. And, if nothing else, it would buy Todd some time to finish assembling his fancy little rifle. Hyunjin was looking up at you, ears swiveled back and tail tucked between his legs. You knew a ‘what the fuck are you doing’ look when you saw it. You shot him back a ‘just trust me on this’ look, hoping that you had suddenly developed some freaky twin telepathy and he wouldn’t fuck up your plan.

“Be careful, Areum,” Tim said, low voice in your ear giving you a swell of confidence. “Something’s not right.”

“Seconded,” Jason added. “Gut’s telling me that this guy’s up to something.”

“Shut up,” you hissed. Flicked Hyunjin’s ear to make it seem like you were talking to him. He played along, thankfully, and fell silent. Although he certainly didn’t look pleased about it. “Okay, Shin. Let me start off with a question: why?”

“You’re gonna have to be a little more specific,” Shin chuckled. “Why what?”

“Why… everything,” you said. Ah, yes, very articulate of you. “Why my people? Why the fear toxin? Why go to all this trouble, even?”

“Ah, big questions.” The amused expression on Shin’s face hadn’t cracked at all. If anything, he looked even more delighted. “Is this the part where I go into my villain monologue, then?”

“If you want,” you ground out, rolling your eyes.

“I mean, why the fuck not, right?” Shin chuckled, pushing himself off of the support and slowly making his way towards you. “I think we both know that at this point, not all of us are gonna be walking out of this place. So I may as well spill my guts.”

You tensed as he came to stop directly in front of you, his crooked grin not reaching his eyes. Hyunjin tensed as well, muscles taught. Tim and Todd were silent as well, only the sound of their breathing coming through the comms.

“Should I start with my tragic backstory? Little Jinnie there is familiar with some of the greatest hits from it. Broken household, living in poverty, juvenile delinquency. You know, the standard starter pack for most non-white, non-rich kids here in Gotham. Dad locked up, Mom struggling to make ends meet.” He leaned closer, cruel edge to his smirk when your nose wrinkled in disgust at his scent so close, overwhelming your senses. “But see, I take a little bit of a detour right around high school. Between the little pages talking about street fights and my friends getting gunned down, there’s a little section about a bit of mysticism that runs on Mom’s side of the family. A little book that I picked up, read, and ran with. Because, see, instead of a Sweet Sixteen party, I made a pact.”

There was a sharp inhale from Todd over the comms as you slowly began to put the pieces together. Of course there was a reason why Shin didn’t smell human, why you hadn’t been able to place what he was, even though he’d seemed so utterly normal.

“Warlock,” Todd growled.

“A soul is a pretty small price to pay for the power to make sure the people keeping us all in poverty face some kind of justice,” he said. “And as it happened, more than a few demons were pretty interested about something happening in Gotham. So I get what I need, they get what they need. Perfect symbiotic relationship.”

“Then why get Scarecrow and the triads involved?” you asked, frowning. “If you’ve got a demon backing you, why waste your time with them?”

“A few reasons, counsellor.” Shin leaned away from you, holding up a finger. “First, it gets whoever may get involved in the whole thing off my back. I was just expecting the usual vigilantes to stick their noses into it, but I guess I should have known you and your family couldn’t just be happy to have your youngest back and get off my back.” He held up another finger. “Second, because it was in all our best interests. Scarecrow got to hyperfixate on creating some new strain of his toxin. The triads got to have their little power struggle and place people who were stupid enough to work with me in charge. And with their fingerprints all over it, they would take the fall for me while I pulled some strings and reset the power structure here in Gotham.” He held up a third finger. “Lastly, because I fucking hate all of them, and it gave me a chance to either kill all of them or have them locked up and out of my way.”

“You get a fear toxin to make weapons of mass destruction and get rid of the competition all in one fell swoop,” you mumbled, eyes narrowed.

“Precisely! See, you get it. Knew you’d use that smart little brain of yours eventually, little sister.” Looking triumphant, he shoved his hand back in the pocket of his jacket.

“What do you get from demonizing an entire community and killing the Gotham elite, though?” you asked, crossing your arms over your chest. “The only thing that that’s a recipe for is chaos. All kinds of people are gonna come out of the woodwork. Pretty sure throwing the city into another No Mans Land incident is one of the stupidest things you could do.”

“Oh, but that’s where you’re wrong.” Shin tapped his temple. “You’re thinking too much like a lawyer. Like the good little girl you really are, despite the punk rock look you got going on. If there’s one thing that Batman’s shown to be true about this city, it’s that fear is the only way to control it. See, if I were just to kill off all the CEOs and the investment bankers and the trust fund babies with no big bad to pin it on, you’d be right. But this city’s afraid. The fear starts up at the top and trickles down. After all, if the big bad werewolves can kill the oppressors, what’s to stop them from coming after the people just under them after that? There will always be rich assholes. That’s the unfortunate nature of the world we live in. And as long as that holds true, the fear that I’ve sown will stay there. But I can choose who to place at the top. Make sure kids like me and you don’t have to put up with being paid less, with being looked down on just for being born with a foreign name. Plus, you’ve got to admit, you wouldn’t shed a tear for these rich fucks.”

Cruel as it was, the logic was there. As much as you hated to admit it, he was right. Batman had shown that the best way to keep the city under control was through fear; although he used it against criminals, primarily, through his presence in the city others had risen to instill fear in those who couldn’t see the vigilante and his little family as threats. Not only that, but you _really_ wouldn’t shed a tear if some of the big name elites were killed.

“What about the other crime families in the city?” you asked, trying to steer away from his clear logic. “Surely you don’t think that they won’t take advantage of this.”

“Oh, they almost certainly will. Well, some of them, at least. But here’s the thing.” Shin waved a hand dismissively. “Most of them aren’t bigger than low level street crime. The Italians have been fangless since Falcone was murdered. The Irish are too comfortable with the few rackets they’ve actually succeeded in to take a risk. And the yakuza have always been more concerned with keeping their community safe than anything else. The triads can fuck off back to Hong Kong and China or move their people to Bludhaven and New York. Tiger Shark prefers the sewers, so do the Whisper Gang. What happens on the streets will be under my control, and Batman can fuck with the rest of them.”

“Your plan is seriously for Batman and the other vigilantes in this city to just… not bother you?” You snorted, shaking your head. “Not to mention there will always be someone who wants what you have. No matter what you offer the people you put in power, there will always be someone with a higher offer. It just isn’t sustainable. If it isn’t one of the vigilantes who takes you down, it’ll be someone with a better plan than yours.”

“Maybe.” He shrugged. “But whatever inevitable problems I run into, I’ll take care of. And if I can’t, then my patron will make sure they’re no longer a problem.”

“You recognize the irony of taking down the Gotham elite and then having the same mindset of letting someone else take care of problems you don’t want to deal with, right?” you asked, eyes narrowed.

“I have to admit, I wouldn’t have guessed you to be the type to get rich dick once and then suddenly become the attack dog for those in power.” Shin sighed, shaking his head. “You’ve gotten to used to the status quo, little sister. It’s time for change, and either you’re with me or you’re against me.”

“Count me out,” you snarled.

Shin turned to Hyunjin then, smiling down at him. Your twin growled again, lips peeling back to bare his teeth and hackles raised.

“C’mon, Jinnie. Forgive and forget, yeah?” Shin gave a small shrug. “Necessary sacrifices and all that. Back down and you can join the gang again. No harm, no foul, your family will be taken care of.”

There was no hesitation. Hyunjin launched himself at Shin, vicious snarl ripping from his throat as he sent the man tumbling to the ground. Jaws closing around Shin’s arm, he let out a frustrated growl, paws pinning him to the ground and fangs sinking in deeper. The smell of blood hit you, making you back up a step and growl. Jaw aching, you shook your head.

“There’s something wrong about his blood,” you snarled, words jumbled through your growing fangs.

“Areum, wh—”

Tim’s words cut off when you heard a sharp whine, Hyunjin flying past you and crashing into a pile of rotting boxes. When you turned back to Shin, something about him seemed… wrong. Different. The way he looked from the corner of your eye and when you looked straight at him changed, steam escaping his lips when he exhaled. The blood that dripped from the ragged bite wound on his forearm was too thick, darker than it should have been. The hair on the back of your neck stood as you stared him down, a low growl leaving you instinctively.

“I’ll take that as a no from both of you then,” Shin said, voice deeper than it had been before. “Shame. But anyone who gets in the way has to be taken care of.”

Taking a deep breath, you slowly dropped into a defensive stance, bringing your fists up to protect your face and head. Shin shrugged off his jacket, the tattoos on his neck and arms shifting, coming to life as he tossed it aside and turned back to you. His eyes had changed as well, shifting to a darker color, pupils thin slits. Even his scent had changed, the wrongness of his blood making you sneeze, nose scrunching as the smell became almost unbearable. As he rolled up his sleeves, you shifted closer to him, staying on the balls of your feet.

“I have a clear shot,” Todd said. When you glanced up, you saw that he’d taken off his helmet, laid down and set up his rifle. “Do you want me to take it?”

“No,” you growled. “I’m gonna beat the shit out of him first.”

Fueled by fury and the pained, embarrassed whines Hyunjin made as he clambered out of the pile of rotting cardboard, you went on the offensive, rushing Shin. Not holding back, you opened with a roundhouse kick, snarling when Shin brought up his arm to block it. As fast as you were moving, throwing a straight punch that he ducked out of the way of, he moved just as quickly. It should have been impossible, your stamina and strength far surpassing that of any human. But whatever pact he’d made with his demon gave Shin enough of a boost to keep up with you. Frustrated, you lashed out with the heel of your hand, landing a brutal blow to his jaw and hearing the bones crack under the impact.

Shin stumbled back, expression morphing from casual amusement to dark fury as he spat out a mouthful of blood, a couple of teeth clattering to the ground. You shook out your stinging hand, bouncing on the balls of your feet a couple of times before you attacked again. Although he managed to block the first few punches you threw, when you spun into a jumping kick, it hit Shin square in the chest, breath leaving him in a great whoosh and sending him back a few steps. You did not relent, driving your knee into his gut and grabbing him by the back of the head. Fingers tangled in his hair and nails biting deep into his scalp, you smashed his face against the concrete floor, the crack of his nose breaking sending a vicious thrill through you. But the victory was short lived, as Shin reached into the pocket of his jeans and flicked open a knife. His arm twisting unnaturally, the blade arced through the air, forcing you to release him and roll away to avoid the razor-sharp edge.

“Silver,” you snarled, recoiling instinctively at the sight of it. “Fighting dirty.”

“It’s not fighting dirty to exploit an enemy’s weakness,” Shin growled back, words garbled and wet from the blood gushing from his broken nose. He’d forced himself back up to his feet, not even wavering despite the blows you’d landed. “C’mon, little sister. Surely a little knife isn’t gonna send you running off with your tail between your legs.”

“Areum, let Jason take the shot,” Tim said, edge to his voice.

Ignoring him, you dashed forward, aiming to ram your shoulder into Shin’s gut and knock him to the ground. But he moved even faster than he had before, the dragon tattoo on his neck opening its dark, inky maw as he slashed at you again. This time, you weren’t quick enough. The blade bit deep into your jaw, the gash burning and blood splattering the ground as you stumbled back and away. The fight turned to Shin’s favor, forcing you to shift into defense and evasion, your movements sluggish but just quick enough to avoid each slash and jab towards you. The silver burned, the wound not healing the way it should have. You clapped a hand over the gash, blood welling past your fingers and your breath coming in pained gasps as Shin drove you further and further back.

“Fuck, can’t take the shot,” Todd grunted. “Areum, you gotta drop. Get out of the way.”

“No,” you growled.

This was your fight. You weren’t about to just bow out and run away from it. The coppery smell of your own blood filled the air, cutting through the heavy scent of Shin’s. You heard a short yip from behind you and knew what to do. Dropping to your hands and knees, you braced yourself as Hyunjin launched off of your back, his jaws closing around Shin’s wrist and ripping. He screamed, Hyunjin’s claws shredding his shirt, leaving bleeding gashes on his chest and stomach. With a crunch of bone and a twist of his head, Hyunjin ripped Shin’s hand off, backing up with the limb still in his mouth and blood dripping from his snout.

“If you think this is the part where I give up,” he panted, clutching at the bloody stump of his wrist. “You’re wrong.”

Hyunjin spat out Shin’s hand, kicking it away with his rear leg and shaking out his coat. Removing your hand from your jaw, you flicked way blood from your fingers and fought through the pain.

“None of us have any illusions about this being anything other than a fight to the death,” you slurred, jaw numb. “But we brought our own backup.”

Extending your thumb and forefinger in a mock gun, you heard Todd let out a low chuckle.

“Bang,” you whispered.

The shot rang out in the warehouse, louder than you’d thought it would be. The round went through Shin’s gut, the exit wound explosive. Gore splattered the ground, making you whine at the smell and bring a hand up to cover your nose and mouth. It smelled rotten, like meat that had been left out in the sun too long. Shin coughed up a mouthful of blood, eyes wide in surprise. Falling to his knees, he brought both arms up to his torso, trying to keep the guts that had spilled out of the ragged wound inside of him.

“The Lazarus,” he wheezed, looking up and turning his head to look directly at where Todd was. “How wonderful. The thing that brought all these demons crawling to Gotham.”

“What?” Todd visibly stiffened, confusion lacing his tone. “What the hell is he—”

“My patron in particular is interested in you. You know, if you really think about it, all of this happened because of you.” Shin chuckled, amused as you and Hyunjin looked at each other in confusion. “Oh, come on. Surely the wolves could smell the death all over him. If only the boy had stayed dead, then maybe I never would have had a demon listen to my call. Maybe the pact never would have been made. And maybe the forces of Hell wouldn’t be crawling in the darkness of Gotham.”

“Jason.” Tim’s voice was sharp. “What the hell is he talking about?”

Todd was silent. But you could hear his shaky breathing, the sudden rapid jump in his pulse.

“What the hell is he talking about?” you whispered.

“I thought I was seeing things,” Jason said, backing away from his rifle. His scent radiated distress, fear, confusion.

“Death doesn’t let what belongs to it escape so easily.” Shin chuckled, vomiting up another mouthful of blood. Even with his guts hanging out, he looked triumphant. “My patron will be pleased. Even with my death, his plans will still be in motion.”

“Fuck this,” you snapped. “I don’t care about fucking demons or whatever. You did this, Shin. Not whatever you’re babbling about. You targeted kids. You dosed us all with the toxin. You killed those pups. Stop deflecting.”

“Areum, wait—”

“No,” you snapped, cutting off Todd. “He’s getting under your skin. This is between me, Hyunjin, and him. No one else.”

“Look, I get that, but what he’s saying might be important,” Todd hissed back over the radio.

“Fuck it.” You looked over, Hyunjin having shifted back to his human skin. Bare skin slick with blood, he snarled up at Todd. “If you’re going to be useless, we’ll do it ourselves.”

“Never should have brought a human into this,” you agreed, stepping forward.

It happened in the blink of an eye, Hyunjin’s surprised growl the only indication that something was wrong. Shin had lurched to his feet, his remaining hand pulling another knife from his boot. Moving too quickly for you to stop him, he rushed you. The blade slid easily into your gut, Shin twisting it as you screamed, both of you crumpling to the ground. Hyunjin and Tim’s screams of your name blended together, both matched in the horror that dripped from their voices.

Hyunjin ripped Shin off of you, half shifting in his rage. You curled in on yourself, trembling fingers gripping at the hilt of the silver knife protruding from your gut. As painful as the gash on your jaw had been, it had nothing on the burn that spread through your body. Jaw clenched shut to keep yourself from screaming, you felt tears well in your eyes, your breath coming in short, desperate pants. Distantly, you heard Hyunjin ripping Shin to shreds, blood splattering the ground and the man’s laughter dying into wet gurgles before, finally, he went silent. When you rolled over, the walls had been painted with him, limbs tossed every which way and his head slowly rolling away, expression frozen in a permanent expression of manic glee. Hyunjin shivered as he shifted back again, bones cracking painfully.

“Jason,” you heard Tim shouting faintly in the radio, “what the fuck? You were supposed to be backup. Why didn’t you take the shot?”

“I…” Todd’s voice was even fainter, weaker than you’d ever heard it before. “Tim, I’m sorry, I just… I froze—”

Tim continued to scream and curse, voice frantic. You wanted to say something, wanted to tell him that you were fine, that he needed to calm down. But the simple act of breathing hurt, and the only sound you could make was a soft, pained whimper. Hyunjin took out your earpiece, holding it up to his own ear and growling.

“Drake, call an ambulance. I’ll stay with my sister and shift into my other skin. Todd, you get out of here. Never should have agreed for you to come in the first place,” he snapped.

Voice distant now that it wasn’t in your ear, you could only faintly make out the sound of the two other men arguing. Whatever they said didn’t matter to your twin. You watched as he pulled the ear piece back out and crushed it under his heel. Taking a deep breath, he reached down, brushing hair back from your face with shaking fingers.

“It’s gonna be okay,” he told you, although it sounded more like he was trying to convince himself. “You’re gonna be okay.”

By the time the paramedics arrived, your consciousness was fading. Heaving a sigh of relief, you didn’t fight as they pulled you away from Hyunjin, who had shifted back and tried his best to keep you warm.

His howl was the last thing you heard before you slipped into the darkness.

\---

“I should have been there,” Tim said.

Letting your head fall back against the pillows, you let out a long sigh. From the moment he’d been allowed to see you in the hospital, Tim had rotated between blaming himself and blaming Jason Todd. From the armchair he’d slumped down into, Tim glared at the flowers that Todd had left for you while you were asleep. They were nice, the faint smell of them cutting through the overwhelmingly chemical scent of the hospital itself. He hadn’t left a card, but you’d smelled Todd on the vase, that faint scent of death clinging to whatever he touched. Sunflowers, a cheerful splash of color among so many muted tones.

“It wouldn’t have changed anything,” you told Tim, hands resting over your bandaged stomach. Even with the antibiotics and painkillers they’d pumped you full of, the lingering silver burn remained. “None of us knew that Shin was going to spout some bullshit about demons and freak Todd out. Honestly, Hyunjin and I just shouldn’t have gotten any of you involved.”

“But if I was there—”

“Tim.” You frowned at him, cutting him off before he could say the same thing for the seventh time in fifteen minutes. “Even if Todd hadn’t been distracted, he might not have been fast enough to shoot Shin before he got to me. He might have shot me in the process, too. I’m not mad at him.”

“You should be.”

Clearly, there was something else going on between Tim and Todd. A simple failure to back you up didn’t seem like something to be so furious about.

“Why are you really angry?” you asked him.

Sitting on the edge of your bed, Tim sighed, shoulders slumping. He was exhausted, running on fumes. When you reached out to him, he immediately took your hand, careful not to jostle the IV drip as he pressed your palm against his cheek. For a moment, he simply sat there, eyes half closed as he sorted out his thoughts.

“For years, all of us thought that Jason was dead,” he said, voice soft. “Bruce had carried his dead body out of where he’d been killed. Everyone saw the way he was breaking down as Batman. When I convinced him to let me be his Robin, it seemed like I could help him fix what Jason’s death had broken. But it was more of a bandaid. Something like that… the pain never really goes away. None of us were prepared for Jason to come back. He wasn’t the same. He was angrier, willing to kill and work with criminals if it meant getting his revenge. Not long after he came back, he tried to kill me.”

“Oh.” You blinked. From the interactions you’d seen between the two before, although their relationship was clearly a bit strained, you never would have guessed that either of them had attempted to kill the other. “Why?”

“He looked at me and saw a replacement. Someone who had taken his place and stolen everything he’d had once.” Tim paused, grip on your hand tightening ever so slightly. “I… I can’t blame him for being angry about that. But that wasn’t what I was. No one could take Jason’s place. He… eventually, Dick was able to convince him to work with us again. To try to mend his relationship with the family. That was years ago, but… I don’t know. When someone beats you nearly to death and leaves a message for your friends and family in your blood… it kinda sticks with you. Makes things awkward. Dick and Bruce both think he’s really changed, but I don’t know if I’m convinced.”

“He agreed to help me, even though there wasn’t anything in it for him,” you pointed out.

“Yeah, well.” Tim sighed again, gave a half shrug. “It’s clear that he’s still unstable. If Shin wasn’t lying and what he said about demons being in Gotham is true… god, we don’t need that mess to deal with on top of everything else. Yet another Jason problem for the rest of us to fix for him.”

“Let’s just… focus on one disaster at a time,” you mumbled.

“There’s still… there’s still so much to do,” Tim sighed. “Still missing kids, still the triads to deal with, not to mention Scarecrow still has to be captured.”

“I wasn’t under any illusions that taking care of Shin was going to magically fix this,” you admitted. “It’s just one threat dealt with. I wish I could help more.”

“You’ve done more than enough.” Tim tried to smile, the expression pained, before he leaned in to press a gentle kiss to the corner of your lips. “All you need to worry about now is healing and getting some rest. I’ll take care of the rest.”

“At least let someone else help you.” You sighed, leaning into him and closing your eyes when he pressed another kiss to the top of your head. “Like Connor, or Grayson, or even Hyunjin…”

“I’ll just stick with bribing Connor into helping me,” he mumbled. “I don’t need another lecture from Dick, and I’m pretty sure your brother wants to kill me.”

“Oh, Hyunjin would absolutely kill you if he was given the chance,” you told him, grinning when he shot you a nervous look. “But he won’t. Just… promise me that you won’t work yourself too hard. How long has it been since you’ve slept?”

The awkward silence and guilty look on his face was all the answer you needed. Rolling your eyes, you flopped back onto the hospital bed, barely holding back a wince when the motion jostled your stab wound.

“Just do me one favor, _oppa_?” you asked, putting on your best sugary sweet voice. When Tim visibly stiffened and gave a short nod, you smiled again. “Get some sleep. And not in the armchair here. I’ll have enough company before they let me out of here. Go home. Take care of yourself. Try not to worry for just a few hours. You have so many people who can carry those burdens for you.”

Tim reached out, fingertips skimming feather-light over the bandage on your jaw. Even with how fast you normally healed, you knew that it would leave a permanent scar. One that could be covered with make-up, of course, but also one that you could wear with pride. Although the future held its own problems, at least you could say that you’d faced down the orchestrator of your family’s misery and had some hand in his demise.

“Anything for you,” Tim whispered, his crooked smile a bit more genuine when you turned your head to kiss his palm.

The door slammed open, making both of you jump. Tim stood, clearly prepared for a fight, only to deflate immediately when Stephanie rushed into the room and threw herself at you. Harper followed close behind, although she hung back, respecting the fact that you were in the hospital with a fairly serious injury.

“Areum!” Stephanie cried, half-laying on you and burying her face in your chest. “You _promised_ me that you wouldn’t do anything stupid.”

“Steph, ow,” you grunted, wincing at her weight pressing down on your stitches.

Quickly backing off, she frowned down at you while Harper quietly greeted Tim and set another bouquet of carnations next to the one that Jason had left for you.

“Seriously, Areum, this had better be the last time someone from your family tells me about you getting yourself into trouble. Do you have _any_ idea how upset Hyunjin was when he got to the apartment?” Steph demanded, hands on her hips. “It took him like fifteen minutes to even be coherent. Also he was _butt naked._ Then the stupid nurses wouldn’t let us come back here until they confirmed you were out of surgery. If you weren’t injured and I didn’t love you so much, I’d kick your ass.”

Rubbing at your sore stomach, you smiled up at her.

“Love you too,” you told her.

Stephanie kept up the act for only a few moments longer before she sat on the edge of the bed and (very carefully, this time) hugged you, guiding you to rest your head on her shoulder. Harper sat on the other side of the bed, taking your hand and heaving her own disappointed sigh.

“Cullen wanted me to tell you that he wanted to be here, but I was being a bitch and made him focus on doing his homework instead,” Harper said, rolling her eyes.

Unable to bite back a laugh, you moved out of Steph’s hug so that Harper could hug you instead, the herbal scent exclusive to her soft and soothing. As sweet as Steph’s scent was, you had to admit that you liked Harper’s more, like an aromatherapy candle that helped ground and steady you. There was a soft cough and the three of you looked up at Tim, who had shrugged on his coat and was standing awkwardly near the door.

“I’m going to head out for now. But I’ll be back tomorrow morning to take you home when they discharge you,” he said, shoving his hands in his pockets. “If you need anything—”

“I’ll let you know,” you promised, smiling at him. “Thanks, Tim. And remember your promise.”

“I know, I know.”

With an answering smile of his own, he hesitated, glancing between the two girls on either side of you before settling on giving you an awkward little wave before he left. There was a moment of silence before Stephanie erupted in hysterical laughter, nearly falling off the bed while Harper did a bad job hiding her own snort of amusement.

“Holy shit,” Steph wheezed, standing up and taking a deep breath. “He is _so_ whipped.”

“We love to see it,” Harper chuckled, pressing a kiss to your temple before she let you go and helped you settle back again.

“Oh, we also brought gifts!” Steph cheered, going to retrieve bags that she had tossed to the floor in her rush to get to you. While Harper pulled over the two little side tables in the room, Steph laid out several plastic containers of your mother’s cooking. “On our way here we stopped to see your mom. She insisted that we bring food since she doesn’t trust hospital food.”

“I don’t think I’m supposed to eat anything spicy for a while,” you said, even though you were already reaching for some of the kimchi.

“Fuck it,” Harper said, handing you a plastic fork and serving up a huge pile of kimchi and galbi. “What do these doctors know? You’re a fucking werewolf, anyways. You’ll be fine.”

“What Harpo said,” Steph chimed in, taking out a paper cup and filling it with barley tea from a thermos. “Your mom definitely knows better than them. Plus, fuck hospital food. We know that you deserve better.”

Smiling, you dug into the food, falling once more into your usual place with your two friends, sitting back and quietly listening as they told you about their days. Even though nothing would ever be the same, you appreciated the small moment of normalcy. Despite how casual they were trying to act, you could see how tense both Steph and Harper were, no doubt understanding that what had happened with Shin and what would happen in the following days would have a lasting impact not only on your family, but on the entire city.

But, for just a few hours (until one of the nurses kicked them out so that you could take your scheduled round of medicine and get some sleep), you let yourself believe that everything would go back to normal. Let yourself have a small moment of rest, shooting off a text goodnight to Tim.

Tomorrow you would fight. But, for just a few short hours, you let yourself rest and forget about your problems. After all, with everything else that you had been through… you figured you deserved it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is...... a mess, but it's MY mess and i needed to wrap this up. (also, this is a bit of a set up for my jason fic [Red Sun](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23608246/chapters/56653429) which is probably my favorite work so far and you should all read) ((and if you have read it, shin's patron is belial heheh)). we've got one last main chapter to wrap up a few more things, then a couple of hyunjin/kon side chapters!!
> 
> despite how much of a mess this is, i hope y'all enjoyed. thank you as always for reading. love y'all. stay safe and be kind to yourselves. 
> 
> [support me on ko-fi!](https://ko-fi.com/difficultheart)


	18. Half Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> chapter warnings: alcohol consumption, sexual content (penetrative sex, dry humping, marking, praise kink)
> 
> _nothing even comes close  
>  to half of you_

The moment you stepped into the clinic, you bristled, a low growl instinctively rumbling in your chest at the overwhelming smell of an untold number of distressed Wolves. Jintae whined next to you, slumping as you took his hand and tugged him further inside. As upsetting as it was, you couldn’t let him skip yet _another_ one of his appointments. It had been hard enough to get your little brother to even leave the apartment, and you weren’t going to let him waste your time. You’d rescheduled a meeting with your advisor for this. Even if you had to pick up Tae and carry him kicking and screaming to meet a doctor, you would.

“Sit down and shut up,” you snapped at him, pushing him down into a plastic chair and glaring at him.

“ _Noona_ , this place _stinks,_ ” he whined, pulling up the collar of his shirt to cover his nose. “I want to go home.”

“Too bad.” You shook your head, barely suppressing the urge to roll your eyes. “God, you’re such a child.”

Ignoring his insulted whine, you turned and walked over to the receptionist. In the week following the incident at the Gala things had… well, they had gone far better than you could have imagined. Tim had followed through and Kurokawa had issued a public statement in support of your community, treating the hospitalized pups herself and working with Wayne tech to locate the issue and synthesize a treatment for those effected by the gas. Tae had tried to hide the small seizure he’d had not long after you were discharged from the hospital, not wanting to worry your mother. But, of course, it hadn’t worked.

His family were Wolves, after all. There was very little he could hide from any of you. Although your mother had scheduled appointments at the clinic Kurokawa had set up, your brother had chickened out each time previously, not going when he was trusted to do it himself. So, you’d been forced to step in. You needed to get checked out too, after all. Two birds, one stone. Hyunjin was a lost cause, for the most part, but you figured you could eventually bully him into it.

After you’d checked in both Tae and yourself, you turned back to him, glaring when you caught him trying to get up and sneak off. Giving you his kicked puppy look (despite the fact that your mother and Jinwoo were the only people it worked on), he slumped in the chair as you sat down next to him. Taking out your phone, you jabbed him with your elbow.

“Stop being a baby about this,” you hissed at him. “It’s not that bad.”

“I hate it here.” Pouting, he slumped further down, gangly legs bent at an awkward angle.

“Cry more about it.” You sighed, checking your email. You’d been putting off signing the last batch of paperwork for the job offer at WayneTech, concerned about working there when you were dating one of the heads of the R&D division. Jason Bard had been emailing you almost daily, tone switching between aggravated and desperate. “It won’t take long at all, Tae. I’ll buy you a new video game on the way back home, okay?”

That shut him up. Bribing him probably wasn’t the best method, but if it worked, it worked. You still had a little bit of leftover spending money, and you could always flutter your eyelashes and ask Tim very nicely and get just about anything you wanted if Tae did clean you out. A few minutes later a nurse called for Tae. Pushing him out of his chair, you flashed your teeth at him as a warning to behave. Ignoring his answering snarl, you watched him trudge after the poor nurse before turning back to your phone.

Tim had sent you a text to confirm that he’d be on time for your scheduled stay-at-home date. Steph and Harper had both confirmed that they would be out of the apartment for the next couple days, although Steph had added a dozen winky face emojis at the end of her text. Rolling your eyes, you had started to text Tim back to let him know you had the apartment to yourself when you heard your name. When you looked up, you froze.

Sumiko Kurokawa stood in front of you, hands in the pockets of her white lab coat, her smile polite. You’d seen pictures of her before, but… well, she was _way_ hotter in person than she had been on TV, pale hair swept back into a neat ponytail.

“Areum Kim?” she asked again.

“Uh, yeah.” You blinked, shaking your head, and stood. “Sorry. Is it… my turn?”

“It is.” There was a sly edge to her smile and it was then that her scent hit you. _Not human. Fox. **Powerful.** _You blinked again, trying to smother your own smile. Well. That explained why she was so willing to help out a non-human community. “Come on back.”

Following behind Kurokawa, you did your best to admire the way her stilettos made her legs look _respectfully._ You cared very deeply for Tim, but you did have eyes, after all. When she opened a room, you bowed your head respectfully as you entered. The door clicked shut quietly behind her and she picked up a tablet, no doubt pulling you up in their system as you hopped up to sit on the examination table.

The questions she asked were fairly straightforward: did you have epilepsy, was there a history of epilepsy in your family, were you taking any antidepressants or antipsychotics, had you had any seizures, how many times had you been exposed to the fear toxin… You answered each one honestly, kicking your feet and looking around the room. A nurse came in to take a blood sample, letting you hold a cotton ball over the inside of your elbow as the little prick quickly healed itself. Once all the questions had been answered and your blood had been sent away to be analyzed, Kurokawa locked the tablet, leaning back against the little sink in the room.

“From all of the screening questions, I would say you are likely low risk for any potential epileptic episodes, but we’ll go ahead and send you home with a prescription some standard neuroblocking meds. Take them once a day with a meal, and make sure to let us know if there are any side effects. We should have a better idea of the presence of the toxin in your blood within 24 hours, so we can adjust your medication accordingly and set you up with our own medicine discreetly if need be.” Setting aside the tablet, she put her hands in the pockets of her coat again and smiled. “I’m actually quite glad that I was in the clinic today. I’ve been meaning to get in touch with you.”

“With… me?” you asked, frowning at her.

“A little bird told me that you had been offered a job at WayneTech,” she said, sly look sliding back on when you grinned back at her. “I got a bit curious and looked into you. Your resume is impressive. Perfect GPA, extracurriculars, community service, Dean’s List… You’re graduating in the spring and attending Gotham U for law school, is that right?”

“Yeah, that’s the plan,” you told her, fairly certain that you knew where this was going.

“We have a six-month fellowship program with our legal team,” she told you. “Unlike the internships at Wayne Enterprises, you’re paid a proper salary with full benefits. If you’re a good fit, then you can join the team fully. If you’re not, then we’ll help you find a good fit for you. The pay’s competitive. And,” she added, tilting her head with a sharp grin, “we’ll also cover your tuition for law school.”

“That’s…” Although you’d had people try to poach you before, this offer… well, even if it paid exactly what you’d been offered at WayneTech, the fact that they would pay for you to go to law school alone was an insanely bold move. Laughing, you leaned forward to brace your elbows on your knees. “I can’t really turn that offer down, Dr. Kurokawa.”

“No, I didn’t think you would.” Reaching into her pocket, Kurokawa handed you a business card. “We’ll be in touch about a formal offer so that we can go over all of the details and you can sign paperwork.”

Taking the card from her, you suppressed a shiver when her fingers brushed over yours, nostrils flaring to scent her once more. _Predator. Fox. Trickster. Divine beast._ Looking over the card, you glanced back up at her.

“Wait,” you said, “how are you going to get in touch with me?”

Kurokawa held up the tablet, waving it a bit.

“You gave us contact information when you set up the appointment, remember?” Crossing to the door to open it for you, your skin prickled under her stare. “Stop by the reception desk and they’ll retrieve your prescription for you. I look forward to working with you, Ms. Kim.”

“Likewise, Dr. Kurokawa.” Bowing your head again instinctively, you could feel her eyes on you as you walked away.

Jintae waited for you by the desk, fiddling with his own prescription, folding the slip of paper over and over. You sighed, retrieving your own prescription and glancing up at your little brother. He looked back at you eagerly, barely keeping himself from bouncing with excitement.

“Alright,” you said, rolling your eyes. “Let’s stop and get you a video game on the way home.”

“Yes!” Tae punched the air, draping himself over you as you both walked out. “You’re the best, _noona_.”

“You’re only saying that because I’m the only one who spoils you when you annoy me,” you snorted, bent over with his arms resting heavily on your shoulders. “But we’re stopping by the pharmacy first.”

Ignoring the fresh wave of whining and complaining that that announcement brought, you shrugged him off long enough to swipe your subway pass. When Tae immediately latched himself back onto you, you grunted, but didn’t wave him off. As annoying as it was to have him constantly hanging off of you, all lanky limbs and whining, you also knew that it was mostly instinctive on his part. Tae could play tough all he wanted, pretend that he was just being his usual bratty self, but you knew better. After everything he’d been through, he wasn’t okay. He wouldn’t be okay for a while. Hyunjin had told you that your little brother snuck into his room every night, shifted into his wolf skin, and could only sleep if Hyunjin shifted as well, cuddling up with him. He still flinched if someone grabbed him by the wrist, slunk away to hide if a room got too loud.

Finding a therapist wasn’t exactly an option, as you and your family were still all too aware of the resentment that still lingered against your kind. Not to mention it would be difficult to find one who specialized in the traumas specifically inflicted by a modified fear toxin and days of confinement and torture. The best you could do was just let him be clingy. And, if it gave him some bit of comfort, you could set aside your annoyance for a while.

Pack first. Always pack first. Even if it did mean having a six-foot-something pup hanging off of you as you rode the subway, whining about going back to school and your mother trying to convince him to do senior photos.

“Have you decided what you want to study, when you start up at Gotham U in the fall?” you asked, deftly changing the direction of the conversation.

“Probably animation and design or something. Or computer science,” he sighed, resting his chin on top of your head. “Whatever gives me the best shot at working at a game studio.”

“Nerd,” you snickered. “You haven’t taken art classes in years. Why don’t you start out focusing on the computer side and do an art class as an elective? Lots of demand for tech people, you know.”

“Ugh, you’re so boring.” Tae whined, leaning more heavily into you and making you grip the handle with both hands to keep from toppling over. “Let me _dream._ ”

“If me being sensible is really that threatening to your dream,” you pointed out, shuffling off at your stop with a bit of difficulty, given the pup still draped over your back and shoulders, “maybe you should get a new dream, Tae.”

“Mean,” he pouted.

But he still continued to chatter at you as you dropped off your prescriptions, happily browsing the candy and snack aisles as you waited. You listened patiently as he talked about his Christmas plans with some of his friends, about the assigned reading he’d been doing over the break, about Hyunjin getting in a fistfight with one of the students at the dojang . Putting back some of the snacks he’d been getting (because, honestly, he was a big pup but he _really_ didn’t need to be eating ten bags of honey butter chips), you paid for the medicine and the snacks with the cash your mother had given you, pocketing the change to give to her later.

Thankfully, Tae didn’t spend too long at the game store just a few blocks from the dojang, already knowing what he wanted. Although he whined when you put away the new copy he’d picked up for a used copy instead, he shut up pretty quickly once you’d paid for it. Too enthralled in looking over the case for the game, reading every single bit of text on the back, it was blessedly quiet as you walked him back to the dojang. Once you had climbed the stairs to the apartment, announcing your presence and kicking off your shoes, Tae had already sped off to his room, the door slamming behind him.

“How did the appointment go?” your mother asked, looking up from the stew she was cooking when you came in to the kitchen.

“Pretty good, at least for me. Tae didn’t talk much about it, but he got some temporary medication. You should get a call tomorrow about his test results.” You sighed, putting away the snacks he’d picked and handing his pills over to your mother along with her change. “I had to bribe him with a new game, though.”

“That’s fine,” she told you with a smile, sniffing at the pill bottle before she put it with the rest of the family’s medications and vitamins. “I’m just glad that you finally got him to follow through. If he had a more serious seizure—”

“He won’t,” you interrupted. “Or, at least, he shouldn’t now. They may want him to keep coming back for more tests, though. Maybe have Hyunjin take him to some of those, see if that convinces him to get tested and treated.”

“I’ll see if he’s open to that.” A very diplomatic response from your mother, although you knew that she was getting just as fed up with your twin as you were. “But you’re fine?”

“Should be. The doctor said I was low risk, but they’ll know more after they finish their tests.” Hopping up to sit on the counter, you waited for your mother to resume her cooking before you dropped your bombshell. “I also got offered a fellowship at Kurokawa Pharmaceuticals.”

Your mother froze for a moment, knife hovering in the air over the pork she’d been chopping. Then she turned to you with wide eyes, expression morphing into one of delight.

“Wait, really?” she asked, setting down the knife. “Baby, that’s amazing!”

“I don’t know any specifics yet, but Kurokawa herself said she’d get in touch with me so I can do some paperwork.” You grinned, watching your mother pull off the latex gloves she’d been wearing so she could grab your face and smother it in kisses. “They also offered to cover my tuition for law school.”

“Oh, baby!” Your mother planted a particularly sloppy kiss on your cheek, cradling your face as she beamed at you. “I’m so proud of you.”

Chest swelling at her affection and pride, you let her bundle you into a hug, pulling you off of the counter. You buried your face in her neck, scenting her and letting her warm, familiar smell wash over you.

“Thanks, Mom,” you mumbled, finally pulling away. “I… I still have to go through all the official stuff, but… Maybe things are going to start turning around for us, now.”

“Only good things are in store for you, sweetheart.” She pressed one last kiss to your forehead, giving your cheek a gentle pat. “I know it. This is just the start. You deserve it.”

“God, Mom, don’t make me cry,” you grumbled, although you couldn’t help grinning back at her. “I need to head out so I can get some groceries before Tim gets to the apartment. But let me know if you need anything, okay?”

“I will,” she said, smiling as you retrieved your bag and following you back to the entrance hall. “I love you, baby.”

“I love you, too, Mom. Tell Hyunjin I said hi when he gets back.”

Giving her a quick kiss on the cheek, you waved goodbye to your mother and headed over to the grocer just a few blocks away. Although you didn’t have much left in your bank account, you had just enough to get some pork belly, a couple bottles of soju, and some pre-packaged kimchi-jjigae. Arms full of comfort food, you allowed yourself a moment of joy as you walked back to your apartment. An amazing job offer, a date drinking and eating with your boyfriend… Perhaps, finally, things really were going to start looking up for you.

\---

Tim took the news of the offer surprisingly well. Arms wrapped around you as you grilled the pork belly on the little griddle your mother had given you as a housewarming gift, he buried his face in your neck.

“Probably better that you work there,” he sighed, arms tightening when you squirmed at the ticklish brush of his lips. “Less ethical problems and all that.”

“You’re not mad that I got ruthlessly poached?” you asked, cutting up the meat and carefully moving it to the platter you’d set on the counter.

“No, but Bruce and Koshka probably will be when they figure out how many people Kurokawa’s been poaching from us.” Nuzzling against a spot just behind your ear that he _knew_ was sensitive, he laughed and backed away when you brandished your tongs at him. “Does explain why Bard was in such a foul mood when I left the office, though.”

“Well, maybe he can take some notes from this and start making more generous offers.” Rolling your eyes, you cut the last of the meat and turned your attention to the bubbling stew. “ _Jagiya_ , could you get out the kimchi and the gochujang? It looks like everything’s ready.”

Tim obediently did as you asked, only looking more pleased with himself when you snickered. Helping you carry all the food out to the living room, he flopped down on the couch, pulling you down with him once you’d returned with a chilled bottle of soju and two glasses you’d put in the freezer to chill with it. Seated on his lap, you giggled as he nuzzled into your neck and shoulder again, making it a bit difficult for you to pour his shot for him. Glancing back at him, you held the glass out to him respectfully with both hands.

“What’s got you so affectionate tonight?” you asked, waiting for him to take a sip of his drink before you poured your own glass. “Not that I’m complaining or anything.”

“Missed you,” he mumbled, his free hand slipping up under your shirt, fingers resting gently over the new scar on your belly. “Both jobs have been… busy, lately.”

Letting out a quiet hum, you slammed back your own glass, setting it down so that you could pick up a slice of the pork belly and feed it to him. All too happy to let you pamper him, Tim sank back into the couch as you fed him, kept his glass full.

“You should take a break,” you murmured, setting aside your own glass to settle more comfortably in his lap, head resting on his shoulder. “Let Hyunjin and Kon take over for a day. They may not have the big brain genius intellect that you do, but they can handle the situation for a while.”

Tim didn’t look particularly thrilled with the idea, finishing off his glass of soju and setting it aside so he could guide you to straddle his lap instead. Burying his face in your chest, you chuckled and combed your fingers through his hair. Hands gripping your hips, he slumped with a heavy sigh.

“You’re doing so well,” you whispered to him, letting your nails scrape gently over his scalp and smirking at the visible shudder that went through him. “Tomorrow’s a Saturday. Spend it with me. We can just stay in all day, and I’ll reward you for all that hard work.”

“Don’t tempt me,” he mumbled.

“Literally all I do is tempt you,” you laughed, sitting back and tipping up his chin so that you could look him in the eye. “Seriously, Tim. You need a break.”

“I don’t know.” He frowned, brow creasing. “Cass agreed to help us out today and I need to brief her on the situation. She’s still got some ties in Hong Kong that might be of use…”

Well. It was time to pull out the big guns.

“ _Oppa_ ,” you whined, pouting down at him and barely managing to keep yourself from smirking when he stiffened. “Please? I’ve been such a good girl, and I want to celebrate with you…”

“Oh my god,” he groaned, head tipping back and grip on your hips tightening when you ground them down against his. “You are evil. You _know_ I can’t say no to that.”

“Mm, you love it,” you purred, grinding down against him again and smirking at the muffled moan he let out in response.

“Fine, I’ll text Kon and Cass and ask them to do what they can without me,” he managed to choke out, glaring up at you. “Happy?”

“Very,” you murmured, bending down to press a lingering kiss to his lips before you moved off of his lap to sit next to him instead, filling his glass back up. “Now come on. I can’t finish all this food and soju by myself.”

Taking the glass from you, Tim rolled his eyes as he threw back another shot. He did not complain, though, happily digging into the food with you. By the time you’d finished off the soju, there was very little of the pork belly or kimchi left, your belly full and a content sound rumbling from your chest. Tim had turned on a movie, although you paid no attention to it. You’d laid your head on his lap once you’d had your fill, let him comb his fingers through your hair. Basking in his scent, you stretched out leisurely, letting out a low hum as you nuzzled into his belly.

“We should clean up,” he sighed, pausing the movie to glance down at you. “Or at least put the food away so it doesn’t go bad.”

“Don’t wanna get up,” you mumbled, curling closer to him.

“Areum.” He chuckled, shifting you off of his lap so that he could stand and ignoring your whine. “I’ll be right back, okay?”

“You’d better.” Stretching out on the sofa, you smirked when his eyes drifted to the strip of skin bared as your shirt rode up. “Hurry?”

Not bothering to waste time on a response, he gathered up what was left of the food, power walking into the kitchen with it. You giggled, closing your eyes and listening to him in the kitchen as he put it away. Ever the gentlemen, you also heard him set the dishes in the sink. There was no doubt in your mind that he’d roll out of bed at some point in the morning and wash them before you could get to them. You carefully rolled onto your stomach as you waited for him to come back, careful not to agitate the still healing wound there. The stitches had come out just a day before, the rate you were healing at still accelerated, but it still stung. There would be a lingering pain there from the silver for a while, even if your flesh had mostly sealed itself shut. The gash on your jaw was still tender as well, the scar it would leave a permanent and brutal reminder of what you’d been through. You ran your hand over it, sighing at the dull ache there, the feeling of raised scar tissue.

“You okay?” Tim asked. He’d leaned over the back of the sofa, face creased with concern as you turned to face him and opened your eyes. “If you’re still hurting…”

“I’m fine. Just the usual aches and pains.” You grinned up at him, sitting up on your knees. “Just feeling a bit introspective, I guess.”

“Want to share?” He smiled back, letting you nuzzle against his shoulder.

“Just thinking about you,” you mumbled back. A half-truth, but not quite a lie, either. “Your scent’s been fading from my room. I missed it.”

“Hope you missed more than just my scent.” Tim chuckled, letting you clamber over the back of the couch so you could cling to him, nose buried in the crook of his neck so you could scent him. Let that spicy home-smell sink in deep.

“Of course I did,” you whispered, teeth grazing over his skin. Your jaw ached, fingers tightening in the front of his shirt. His hands skimmed over your thighs, guiding you to wrap your legs around him. “I missed all of you.”

His heart fluttered in his chest, frantic as a caged bird. You pressed your lips against his racing pulse, letting him press you further against him. The urge grew stronger, a low growl rumbling through you as you yanked at the collar of his shirt, exposed more of his warm skin.

“On… on the couch?” he gasped, already hard against the cradle of your hips, straining against his slacks. Buttons popped open as you tugged at the front of his shirt, his fingers brushing up under your shirt, sinking into the skin of your waist. “Fuck…”

You were already shifting your hips back, deftly unbuckling his belt and tugging down the zipper. Tumbling back onto the couch, you squealed as he pulled off your leggings, tossing them aside as he crawled towards you. Still giggling, you arched your hips so that he could toss your panties aside as well, helping him shove his pants and briefs down enough to free his erection.

“Condom?” you asked, letting him readjust both of you to a more comfortable position on the couch.

“Shit, hold on.” Jaw clenched, he got up from the couch. “You still have some in your purse?”

“I do, front left pocket,” you called back, biting your lip to keep from laughing when he nearly tripped.

Shoving his pants and briefs off so he wouldn’t trip on them again, he tossed his shirt off as well as he ran to your room. In record time he was back, condom in hand and looking terribly proud of himself. You devolved into giggles again as he crawled back over you, his hands shoving your shirt up to expose your chest. Condom packet held precariously between his teeth, he stilled when you leaned up to take it from him, smirking as you felt his cock twitch against your thigh.

“Let me be a good girl,” you murmured, taking the condom from between your teeth, “and do it for you, _oppa?”_

Letting out a particularly foul curse, Tim nodded, letting his hands slip away from your chest as you scooted back. His chest rose and fell in sharp breaths as you ripped open the packet, smirking at him. A low hiss slipped past his clenched teeth when you took his dick in hand, slowly stroking him a few times until he twitched visibly in your grip. Taking a bit of mercy on him, you rolled the condom on and sat back, hooking one heel over his shoulder with a coy grin.

Tim lunged forward, shoving you back against the couch and pressing down on your sternum. Not hard enough to hurt, but enough to make your breath catch in your throat as he guided both of your legs over his shoulders and pushed deep inside of you with one brutal stroke. You let out a strangled cry, the stretch without any prep a delicious burn. Panting, you closed your eyes, Tim falling still to give you time to adjust. Despite the force he’d just displayed, he leaned forward to press gentle kisses all over your face.

“Such a good girl,” he murmured, fingers sinking into your thighs. “You take me so well.”

The praise made you wetter than you cared to admit, toes curling as he kissed you, all teeth and tongue. Once the burn had faded into a pleasant ache, you swiveled your hips. Immediately, Tim moved, setting a brutal pace as he fucked you into the sofa cushions. You could barely keep up, overwhelmed by the sheer lust rolling through his scent, the frantic rhythm of his heart, each quiet gasp and moan that rolled past his lips. One of his hands strayed to your belly, slipping down to roll his thumb over your clit. It was quick, messy, both of you aware that it was not going to last long at all.

You came first, fingers tangled in his hair as he pressed his face into your throat, crying out. You shuddered and clenched around him, digging your heels into his back as he continued to pound into you. You whined, quickly overstimulated, but rolled your hips up against his the best you could until he came with a muffled shout. Tim held himself over you as he came down, arms shaking as he supported his own weight. Leaning up, you gently kissed his lips, the line of his jaw, until he had caught his breath, his cock giving one last, final twitch inside of you.

“Didn’t… didn’t hurt you, did I?” he asked, wincing as he slipped out of you.

“Nothing I didn’t like,” you murmured, falling back as he shuffled down the hall to the bathroom.

Used condom properly disposed of, he braced his hands on either side of your head when he returned, smiling down at you. You grinned back up at him, still basking in the afterglow, a pleasant ache radiating through your core. Reaching up for him, you guided him down so you could kiss him, knees still curled to your chest.

“Carry me to my room?” you asked, pouting up at him when he pulled back.

“Since you asked so nicely.”

Tim snickered, scooping you up and letting you curl closer to his chest as he carried you to your room. Laying you down on top of the blankets, he retrieved a pair of his sweatpants (which you hadn’t been planning on returning), pulling them on. You pulled off your shirt, letting out a pleased hum and tucking your legs under you as you sat, watching him. Running a hand through his hair, Tim bent to plug in the fairy lights you’d hung over your bed, letting the soft glow be the only light in your dim room.

“Anything I can get for you?” he asked, grinning down at you.

“No,” you murmured. “I just need you.”

Arching an eyebrow, he moved to sit next to you on the bed. When you shoved him down, he let out a startled grunt. Hand splayed on his chest, you stared at the junction of his throat and shoulder, his skin still pleasantly flushed. That same sticky sweet feeling seemed to swell within your chest, your thumb brushing over a scar on his sternum. The words rushed out before you could stop them, fueled by that odd feeling spilling over your ribs.

“I want to mark you.”

“Oh.” Tim chuckled, tucking his arms behind his head. “Kinky.”

“Not…” You cleared your throat, embarrassed that you’d even said it. Somehow, the fact that he hadn’t understood made it worse. “Not like… a human sex thing. Like a mating thing.”

“Oh… _Oh_.” Tim blinked, face flushing as he stared up at you. “Wait, really?”

“Is it so hard to believe that I’d want to mark you?” you asked, straddling him and keeping your hand pressed over his heart. “I’m uncommonly fond of you, Tim.”

“But isn’t that like… a really serious thing?” he asked you, eyes wide.

“It can be.” You shrugged. “Some wolves mate for life, but I see it as more of a… step towards commitment.”

“So, I’d… be your mate?” he asked again, heart racing beneath your palm. There was a different spike to his scent now, something so pleasant to your senses that you let out a pleased sound at the back of your throat. “Is that how it works?”

“Mm,” you hummed, leaning forward to nuzzle against his throat, scenting him. You wanted to burn this new smell into your memory permanently, a tantalizingly sweet addition to that spicy smell that was unique to him. “It won’t leave a scar or anything. All that werewolf smut really is brain rotting. But it’ll leave a nice physical mark on you for a few days. And you’ll smell a little bit like me, some of my scent mixed with yours. It’s not permanent. But… I want to.”

“I’m okay with wearing a turtleneck for a few days,” he chuckled, hands skimming over your ribs. “I… I want you to mark me, too.”

Nothing else needed to be said. You let the mask slip, jaw aching as your teeth grew, nails lengthening and scraping lightly over the skin of his chest. Pressing him down into the mattress, you ran your tongue over the skin at the junction of his throat and shoulder, felt him shudder beneath you. Then you sank your teeth into the skin, moaning at the primal rush you felt under your skin as you marked him. Tim gasped underneath you, a muscle in his jaw ticking at the initial pain. But you knew when he felt the same rush, the burning euphoria that had your hips grinding down against his, desperate for release. Rutting against him, you growled, fangs burying further into his skin as his hands grasped your waist. No penetration, no lips or fingers. You simply ground down against him, felt him harden and twitch through the thin material of his sweatpants. His blood tasted sweet on your tongue, welling past your teeth. But you did not release him, kept your greedy fangs buried in his flesh.

When you came, it was overwhelming. A truly orgasmic rush, lighting up your veins as you rode it out, nails scraping down his chest as you whined and keened. A wild sound, one that he matched with his own desperate shout as he came once more, staining the front of his sweatpants. Although you’d dry humped like teenagers, it felt… satisfying. Something locked into place as you finally pulled away, pressing a kiss over the mark before you sat back.

Tim looked shellshocked, chest heaving as he stared up at you. A bit of blood trickled from where you’d bitten him, the skin around it already beginning to bruise.

“Holy shit…” he breathed, chuckling and running his hands over his face. “That was…”

“Amazing? Showstopping? Spectacular?” you asked, still breathless yourself, licking the blood from your lips.

“So, we’re going to do that… a lot, right?” he asked.

You laughed as he sat up, peppering your face with kisses and wrapping his arms around you. Curling your fingers in his hair, you let him nuzzle against your throat as well, giving the skin there a playful little bite. Enough to sting, but nothing more. The gesture, however, still sent a wild thrill down your spine. You pulled away, shimmying out of reach when he tried to grab you again.

“Come on,” you said, stepping back towards your dresser. “Let’s wash up. And we should put a bandage on that mark.”

Tim was happy to obey, peeling off the dirtied sweatpants and catching a pair of pajama pants that Hyunjin had left behind when you tossed them at his chest. Retrieving a fresh pair of panties and a nightgown, you shuffled into the bathroom, Tim right behind you. Both of you deeply satisfied (at least for the moment), you simply showered together, a delicious, domestic intimacy to washing his hair and letting him scrub your back. Hair still dripping, he sat on the toilet once you’d both dried off so that you could slap a few band aids over the mark. It had already stopped bleeding, but you figured it was better to be safe rather than sorry. He pressed his face into your stomach once you were done, fingers curling into the fabric of your nightgown.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

“For what?” you asked, slicking back his hair.

“For the mark. For… for letting me be your mate.”

 _Mate._ Just the sound of it on his tongue felt right, pleasing in ways that made the wolf inside of you rumble in joy. Your mate. Already, you could smell a bit of yourself on him. Not much, not from the first mark. But it felt right. Felt like home. Like your scent had always been meant to mix with his own. Something wild and evergreen to his own spicy comfort.

“I couldn’t ask for anyone better,” you told him, knowing bone deep that it was true.

Because, really, you couldn’t imagine anyone better. Not anymore. You’d had no real interest in a mate before you’d met Tim, too focused on school and being as close to normal as you could. But Tim had changed all of that. Even though he could go days without sleep and run himself so thin he was barely functional, even though he was a trust fund kid, even though he was too smart with his own good, you cared for him. Deeply. And each of his faults were outshone by his virtues. Anyone sensible would have turned and run when your family was targeted. Anyone else would have turned over the last bits of the clusterfuck to the police, washed their hands of it. But not Tim. Even though he was a human, even though he probably didn’t realize it himself… He put the pack first. His family, his friends, you and your family… They were all a priority.

Of course, it also helped that he was terribly pretty, had a nice body, and was hands down the best sexual partner you’d ever had. But that was all in the background. A nice bonus to what really made him what you wanted in a mate: his heart. Now that you had him, you couldn’t imagine ever letting him go. Curling up in bed with him, his head resting on your chest as you watched TV on his tablet, you basked in the warmth of his presence, in how comforting it was simply being with him. The episode you’d been watching of some animated show Tim enjoyed came to an end and he glanced up at you, cheek still pillowed on your breasts.

“Are you doing anything for Christmas?” he asked.

“Mm, I didn’t have any real concrete plans,” you sighed, running your fingers through his damp hair. “Why?”

“I was going to spend Christmas with my mom, and I thought…” he trailed off, suddenly shy. “If you wanted to, I’d like to introduce you to her. I think she’d like you.”

“Oh?” You chuckled, tugging at his hair until he looked back up at you. “You’re pretty serious about me, aren’t you, Timothy Drake?”

“You literally just put a mating mark on me,” he pointed out with a pout.

“Oh, but you’re inviting me to meet your mom. I know enough about human courting to know what a big step that is.” When he continued to pout, you smiled. “Of course I want to meet your mother.”

“Oh, thank god.” He heaved a relieved sigh, burying his face in your chest and rolling on top of you, pinning you to the mattress as you giggled.

“What, did you think I would say no?” you laughed.

“It was a possibility,” he mumbled into your skin. “It’s hard sometimes to tell when you’re being serious and when you’re teasing, _jagi.”_

The term of endearment sent a thrill through you, primal and possessive. For all of his affections and his clear adoration of you, it still felt nice to hear him use the word. To know that he felt for you what you felt for him. You skimmed your fingers over the Hello Kitty band aids you’d put on the mark, smirked at the shiver that went through him.

“I’m very serious,” you told him, petting his hair and letting your voice dip into a softer range. “I’m honored that you want to take that step with me so soon. I’d love to spend Christmas with you and your mother.”

“Even though we’re rich bourgeois leeches that benefit from the pain and suffering of the masses?” he asked, giving you a sly grin.

“I won’t go Parasite on you or your mom,” you sighed. “Promise.”

Tim’s smile slowly melted into one of genuine joy and affection. Moving up so that he was hovering over you, he gently kissed you, letting out a pleased hum when you arched up to deepen it.

“You know that you can’t get rid of me now, right?” you asked once he’d pulled back, rolled you over so that you laid on top of him.

“Why would I ever want to do that?” he asked, nuzzling his nose against yours.

There were many reasons you could think of. Once the spring semester started and you began your fellowship at Kurokawa Pharmaceuticals, you would have less time to spend with him. You couldn’t rest yet, had to keep striving for perfection. And, of course, there was the fact that the situation with the triads and crane could always devolve. Things could get worse again, more than any of you could handle.

But that didn’t matter. Not in the moment. Those were things you could worry about in the future, problems for future Areum that present Areum had no interest in.

In that moment, the only thing that mattered was the pleasant mate-mingling of your scent with Tim’s, the steady beat of his heart, and the taste of him on your lips. You could ask for nothing more. As long as you had him, as long as you had your mate, nothing else mattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> that's all for areum and tim... but don't worry, the story will continue and wrap up in hyunjin and kon's two chapters (which, of course, tim and areum will still show up in). like with What the Water Gave Me, i also have some side content planned for them, so look forward to it!!
> 
> sumiko kurokawa belongs to [the lovely mari](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bringmetea)!! 
> 
> [recommended listening!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eelfrHtmk68)
> 
> [support me on kofi!!](https://ko-fi.com/difficultheart) drop a request in your donation message and i'll write a drabble for you over on [my tumblr!](https://spidergwenn.tumblr.com/tagged/violet-writes)


	19. Extra Side A: So What

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> chapter warnings: brief mention of domestic abuse, torture, violence, drinking 
> 
> _your intense heart  
>  oh, it's getting hotter_

Hyunjin Kim was a shitty person. Always had been, always would be. His father had made sure he understood that at a very young age. He was too angry, too violent. _Too much._ The pack dynamic was really all that kept the rest of his family putting up with him, and he was all too aware of it. Trying to be ‘better’ was tiring. Being a piece of shit was easier, and it was more useful to the people around him.

Exhibit A: The Lucky Hand motherfucker currently duct taped to a chair in some shitty coke house basement, the baseball bat in Hyunjin’s hand, and the Kryptonian clone leaning against the doorway behind him.

“Werewolf with a baseball bat,” Conner Kent chuckled, arms folded over his chest. “Stranger than fiction.”

“Do you ever shut up?” Hyunjin growled, glaring at him. “Just keep your fucking mouth shut for a few minutes. Think you can do that?”

Kent held up his hands, looking amused. Still growling, Hyunjin bared his teeth in a snarl for good measure before turning back to the triad. In the two months since Hyunjin had agreed to do the dirty work for Areum and her rich boyfriend, Kent had been a constant thorn in his side. Always tagging along wherever Hyunjin went, always with his stupid quips and bad jokes. Never flinching away from the violence, as he’d expected. And Hyunjin had to admit, he had a grudging respect for that. While the Bats would likely frown upon some of his actions (not all, because he was very aware of what Todd got up to now that he’d gone AWOL and stopped talking to the others, and the frequency with which Batman himself tended to go a bit too far), Kent was always along for the ride. There was always a tacit stamp of approval on his actions, which struck him as a bit odd, coming from one of Superman’s kids.

Taking a deep breath, he shook his head. He had to focus on the task at hand. Clouded thoughts led to mistakes, which he couldn’t afford. None of them could. Not when they still had loose ends to tie up. The kids had been found, hospitalized, treated. But that wasn’t enough for Hyunjin. And, deep down, he knew it wasn’t enough for his family, either.

“Okay,” Hyunjin said, spinning the bat and approaching the triad. A big guy, lingering scent of coke, nose still bleeding from the knock-out punch Kent had delivered. “I think we both know how this is gonna go. How many broken bones you get depends on the info you give me. So, let’s begin. Where’s the remaining stash of the fear toxin?”

Silence. Hyunjin had expected it. Grinning, he crouched in front of the guy, bat resting over his shoulder. A stoic expression. No talking, no snitching. Even the smaller groups were tight-knit, an unspoken rule in place that talking meant death. But, of course, Hyunjin was good at what he did. He’d made triads talk before. This one wasn’t anything special.

“Hey, if you don’t like English, don’t worry about it.” Flashing his fangs, Hyunjin tapped the bat against his shoulder. “I’m fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese too.”

“Hot,” Kent chuckled behind him.

Hyunjin closed his eyes, slowly counting to ten and reminding himself that the clone was on his side. The triad snorted, stoic expression slipping into one of vicious amusement.

“So is this how it’s going to go?” he asked, glancing between Hyunjin and Kent. “You play bad cop, your boyfriend plays funny cop?”

“Aw, he thinks we’re boyfriends, Jinnie,” Kent chuckled.

“Didn’t I _just_ tell you to keep your stupid fucking mouth shut?” Hyunjin snarled, turning to glare at Kent. “Don’t forget that I’m actually capable of breaking your jaw.”

“You two need a moment?” the triad asked, chuckling again. “I got all the time in the world, man.”

“You know what? Change of plans. We’re not gonna play this game the long way.” Temper flaring, Hyunjin stood, swinging the bat full force and finding some vicious joy in the loud crunch of the triad’s wrist bones shattering under the impact. He grinned when he smelled the spike of adrenaline, planting a foot on the chair and tipping it back. “I’m all out of patience, because I have to beat the shit out of funny cop over there. So, we’ll make this easy for you. You give us the location of the stash, I won’t break every bone in your body and rip your throat out.”

Silence, although pained this time. The triad’s breaths came quicker, his jaw clenched as he glared up at Hyunjin. Usually, he would have taken his time. Tried his best to be patient, to extract the information slowly and carefully. But Hyunjin was pissed. And even if he messed this one up, there were plenty of other shitstains to pick up off the street and beat the shit out of to get what he wanted. This one wasn’t the first, and he wouldn’t be the last. Swinging the bat again, he shattered the kneecap next. Then the other kneecap. Then he dropped the bat, rolled up his sleeves, and got to work with his bare hands. If he couldn’t work out his frustration and anger like he used to, he could work it out on the guy bound up in front of him.

Blood splattered on his fists, breathing heavily, Hyunjin only stopped when he heard the triad let out a wet gasp, trying to speak through a mouth full of blood and teeth. Grasping the front of his shirt, he leaned in close, still breathing heavily, eyes fully Wolf and baring teeth that were getting too big for his human mouth.

“Sorry, you got something to say?” he snarled, words garbled through his fangs. “Hard to hear through all the blood and loose teeth.”

Letting the triad go so that he could spit out the mess of gore in his mouth, Hyunjin allowed himself a moment of satisfaction. The spike of adrenaline told him everything he needed to know. Well, that and the way the amusement had bled away into pain and fear.

Humans were all the same. No loyalty. Not if you pushed them far enough.

“Chinatown. One of the Neon Dragons’ fronts.” The triad grimaced, his own words hard to parse through all the missing teeth and his broken jaw. “A bar called Shangri-La.”

“Ah, see? That wasn’t so hard was it?” Hyunjin patted the man’s cheek, relishing in the spike of fear and adrenaline, the moan of pain he gave in response. “Good boy.”

“Is this the part where I turn around and walk outside?” Kent asked, yawning.

“Yes.” Hyunjin grinned, watching the man’s eyes widen. “It is. That bit about not ripping your throat out? I lied.”

Of course, he didn’t wait until Kent closed the door a bit louder than he needed to. They both knew what was going to happen. Even if Kent wasn’t there to see it, he knew. Hyunjin knew that he could hears the screams, the sounds of flesh being torn asunder, of blood and gore splattering the floor. At some point, someone would say something about the trail of bodies. But until then, he would dispense a Wolf’s justice against people who had captured, tortured, and murdered children.

It didn’t take long. Human flesh was so weak, after all. It was far too easy to close his jaws around a fragile throat and rip. Spitting out the skin and muscle and tendon onto the floor, he gagged, the taste terrible. Hyunjin waited until the body gave one last, final twitch before he emerged from the basement, wiping blood from his mouth and chin.

“Further down the rabbit hole, huh?” Kent said, leaning against the outside of the house, infuriating smirk on his face.

“Didn’t expect anything less,” Hyunjin bit back, wiping the last bit of blood from his lip, glad for the cover of darkness. “This shit never ends easy.”

“Does anything ever end easy?” Kent countered, quirking an eyebrow.

“Do you ever shut your mouth?” Hyunjin snapped

“And deprive you of an actual sense of humor? Absolutely not.”

Snarling, Hyunjin shoved the Kryptonian back against the building, baring his teeth. He was still on edge, still riding the adrenaline rush and feeling the hot sting of his temper. Frankly, he missed Cassandra Cain. Although sending her to Hong Kong (where she had actual contacts, where she’d grown up) to investigate any potential possibilities that the modified fear toxin could be used on Wolves there, was smart, it also meant that Hyunjin was now permanently stuck with either his sister’s boyfriend or a mouthy dumbass. As torturous as it was to sit through Drake’s small talk and smell Areum on him, at least he wasn’t constantly poking at raw nerves to get a reaction like Kent had a habit of doing.

“Stop,” Hyunjin growled, getting in his face, “pissing me off.”

Kent only smirked, looking utterly casual despite being pinned by an angry wolf, teeth flashing in his face.

“You know,” he said, voice dropping low, “you’re really hot when you’re pissed off.”

And there it was. The final, terrible little puzzle piece in the vast collage of what made Kent so hard to work with: the fact that he hit on Hyunjin _constantly._ In any other situation, Hyunjin wouldn’t have complained. After all, he was gay, he had two working eyes. Kent was _hot_ , in ways that he was far too aware of. Hell, if he’d met Kent in a bar, he would’ve already made a move. But the problem was two-fold. Kent was infuriatingly stupid and enjoyed getting on his nerves, and he was best friends with Drake and related to fucking _Superman._ There was no way in hell that daddy dearest would approve of a former gangbanger and the original family disappointment, not with his squeaky-clean image of truth, justice, and the American way. Hyunjin couldn’t measure up, and he didn’t want to risk getting his heart broken.

Not again. Not so soon after Youngho Shin.

“Shut up,” he bit out, a weak attempt, but all that he could manage. Shoving away from Kent, he let the human mask slip back on. “You wanna tell Drake about the info we got?”

“All work, no play,” Kent sighed. But he straightened his leather jacket, still with that stupid smug look on his face. “Look, if you want me to tell Tim, I will. But I also figure… well, it’d be pretty fun to just keep this between us, bro. Go down this rabbit hole together. Figure out the last of it ourselves and then rub it in Tim’s face.”

It was tempting. Not only because it got Tim’s annoying sense of morality out of the way, but because it would be satisfying to see his face when he realized that a former gangbanger and his dumb best friend figured it all out without him. Or well, at least the Gotham part. It was a piece of leverage to hold over him any time he pissed off Hyunjin. Not to mention that it was something to brag about to his family. Something that he could say that he did himself, not an accomplishment in which he was just a footnote. Chewing on his thumbnail, he narrowed his eyes, trying to read any sign of deception on Kent’s face.

“What’s the catch?” he asked, not willing to give in so easily.

“No catch,” Kent said, shrugging. “Just a thought. Plus, it’d give me an excuse to come to Gotham and spend more time with you.”

Again with the flirting. Hyunjin rolled his eyes, glaring at the big, dumb, charming smile on Kent’s face. It would have been easy to give in. But the idiot flirted with everyone. Hell, he would flirt with Areum right in front of Tim, then turn around and flirt with Tim. It was ridiculous. It didn’t mean anything. But there was still a vicious little voice at the back of Hyunjin’s head saying that he was just the closest Kent could get to getting with his twin sister. The second choice, as always. A consolation prize, nothing more. Refusing to let the sting in his heart show, he snorted.

“If it means having to put up with you more, you’re not really selling me on the idea,” he ground out, trying to trade blows.

“Oh come on, you secretly love it,” Kent sniggered, not taking the hint when Hyunjin turned, started to make his way back home. “I know you do, Jinnie.”

“Stop calling me that,” he snapped, shoving his hands in the pockets of his coat, refusing to look back at Kent. “And I don’t.”

“Keep playing hard to get.” Kent had stepped up close, head bent to whisper directly in Hyunjin’s ear. “I know you’ll give in one day.”

“Fuck off.” Hyunjin walked faster, hoping Kent would take the hint.

He didn’t, of course. Stupid Kryptonian genes let him easily keep up, long legs keeping stride with Hyunjin’s fast pace. Throwing an arm around his shoulders, infuriatingly friendly despite the answering growl he got.

“Oh come on,” he laughed. “We both know that deep down, you don’t hate me nearly as much as you pretend you do. I know there’s a hidden gooey center under all that toughness. One day you’ll break.”

Hyunjin didn’t bother to argue, kept stubbornly silent. Not because he was tired of arguing, not because he knew that no matter what he said, Kent was still going to stick around.

Deep down, he knew that he was right. And it frightened him more than he cared to admit.

\---

Hyunjin paused with his hand on the doorknob, scenting the air and holding back a heavy sigh. The smell of samgyeopsal, still sizzling on a grill, lingered with his mother’s favorite fruity kind of soju and the distinctive scents of Areum, Cheoljin, and his mother.

He could just turn around. Strip down and put on his true skin and find some warm corner to curl up in for the rest of the night. If would be easier to dismiss their questions of why he didn’t come home, instead of having to face them all together. It was too much, sometimes. Living with his mother again, feeling like the black sheep of the family all over again. Even though their father had left, seemed to be keen on staying in Korea and out of their lives for the foreseeable future, there was still an awkward distance. An invisible wedge that had been driven between him and the rest of them. Awkward sparring sessions every month or so hadn’t been enough to bridge the gap. Living with his mother and Jintae for a couple months had yet to close the distance.

Frankly, he was beginning to wonder if anything ever would.

Taking a deep breath, knowing that at least one of them had probably caught his scent and he couldn’t pussy out of it, Hyunjin opened the door and kicked off his shoes. Haphazardly leaving them in the entryway, he paused before gritting his teeth and putting them away. If he didn’t, his mother would. And she already had enough things to worry about. Hanging up his jacket, he inspected his hands quickly. After Kent had finally taken the hint and fucked off, he’d ducked into a convenience store to wash the remaining bits of blood off. But even just a speck would be enough to tip off Areum, who always had been the most sensitive to scents other than him. It was as good as it could be, and he couldn’t linger for much longer.

“Where’s the brat?” Hyunjin asked, stepping into the dining room.

“Welcome home!” his mother said, cheeks flushed and a bright smile on her face. Definitely drunk.

“He’s staying with a couple friends from school. They’ve got some project they need to finish.” Areum answered him, manning the grill and slicing up the meat before piling it on a plate. “What were you doing out so late?”

She knew, of course. There wasn’t much that Drake didn’t tell his twin sister. The smirk she aimed at him when he didn’t answer only confirmed it. Shrugging off the question entirely, Hyunjin sank down into the empty chair at the table next to Cheoljin, who gave him a small nod as a greeting before turning back to the food.

As more time passed, Hyunjin had come to appreciate his quiet older brother more and more.

“Any particular reason why we broke out the soju and food?” Hyunjin asked instead, snatching up a kimbap roll and eating it whole.

“It’s a Friday night,” his mother said, pushing the half-empty bottle towards Areum. Quickly picking up on what she wanted, his sister slumped, taking one of the clean glasses set on the table and pouring a drink for Hyunjin. “Your oldest brother secured funding for the dojang from a wealthy family who want to enroll their children in some of our classes. Your sister is doing well in her classes and at her new fellowship. And the baby is with his friends. We all deserve a little bit of fun.”

“Especially after everything that’s happened,” Cheoljin added, voice low as he downed his shot.

Although her jaw was clenched, clearly displeased with being the youngest of the group once more, Areum refilled Cheol’s glass. Ever the respectful daughter. Ever the golden child. Grimacing, Hyunjin downed his own shot, shoving the glass over to her so it could be refilled as well. He hated the strawberry soju that his mother preferred, didn’t like the lingering sweetness on his tongue. But he also wasn’t going to turn down free booze. Especially not after the night that he’d had.

“How is the progress with your hunt?” his mother asked, letting Areum refill her glass as well.

“It’s… going,” he said reluctantly, glancing at Areum. His sister rolled her eyes, helping herself to the samgyeopsal. “Made some progress tonight. But I won’t really know if I’m any closer to finishing this until all the angles are covered.”

“Oh, very vague. Makes me feel super confident,” Areum muttered, sinking down in her seat.

It bothered her not to be involved. He knew that. All of them knew that. But it had been agreed upon that she needed to stay out. Not only so that she could focus on finishing up her last couple of classes and do her best in her fellowship at Kurokawa Pharma, but so none of them had to see another scar on her. Hyunjin wasn’t alone in feeling a pang of guilt and anger anytime he saw the long scar on her jaw.

“Promise you won’t go tattle to your boyfriend?” Hyunjin asked.

That got her attention. That got _everyone’s_ attention.

“Promise,” she said.

“Got a potential lead that the Neon Dragons are involved,” he said, voice low. “I want to check and make sure it actually goes somewhere before dragging anyone else into it. Might finally get the last stash we’ve been looking for.”

“Triads all the way down.” Cheoljin sighed, looking deeply troubled. “Are you sure you want to keep going with this?”

“I’m sure.” Hyunjin downed his shot, rubbed a hand over his jaw. “You know how I hunt, Cheol.”

“Once you get your teeth in, you don’t let go until the prey is dead.” Cheoljin shook his head. “Just make sure not to get in too over your head.”

“I’ll try my best.”

“We know you will, baby.” His mother chimed in again, cutting through the somber atmosphere. “Now, let’s stop talking about bad things, okay? Cheol, honey, why don’t you brag about yourself for a bit?”

It was easy to shift the conversation away from heavier topics, to let himself drink more, lose himself in the dull buzz of the alcohol. For a few hours, it was almost like they were a normal family. Drinking, eating, laughing. Trying to bond, despite everything that had happened. Cheoljin was the first to tap out, early riser that he was. Their mother was next, still young but much older, her tolerance lower than the rest of them. Once she was in bed, door closed and the soft sound of her snores carrying down the hall, it was just Hyunjin and Areum. Silence fell between them, but it was comfortable. Out of everyone, she was the one who had repaired their pack bond the most. Twin bullshit, he figured.

She poured them both another shot, the bottle close to empty, most of the food already eaten. Tapping their glasses together, they took their shots at the same time. Hyunjin coughed, shaking his head and snarling.

“God, this shit is foul,” he griped.

“It is,” Areum agreed, although she was already pouring another round of shots. “But soju is soju, and I feel like getting drunk.”

“Trouble in paradise?”

She snorted, shaking her head.

“Opposite. It’s all going too well. I needed a break to be around a little bit of the usual comfort of dysfunction,” she snickered.

“Are you gonna spend the night here, then? I can give you your old room back. Go sleep in Tae’s,” he offered.

“Nah. Tim’s gonna be up anyways, so he offered to pick me up when I decide to call it quits. Just needed a few hours away from him.” Stretching her legs out, she downed her shot. “He’s really trying his best, you know.”

“Yeah, well, that’s the fucking problem, isn’t it?” Hyunjin just stared at his glass, tapping a finger against the table. “I don’t need some Bat kid’s morals getting in the way of the hunt.”

“You don’t seem to have any issue with Kon.”

“Don’t.” Hyunjin glared at her, voice sharp. “Seriously.”

Areum gave him an unamused look, giving his chair a light kick.

“He likes you, you know,” she said.

“He likes everybody,” he shot back.

“He’s not slumming it in dirty Gotham alleys with anyone else.” She kicked his chair again, ignoring his answering growl. “Why else would he leave clean, wonderful Metropolis and his little family there?”

“Because he’s bored, and this is exciting.” Hyunjin kicked her chair, a little more viciously than he’d meant to and almost sending her tumbling over. But she caught herself, giving him a look of open surprise. “Just drop it, Areum.”

“Jinnie, I just want you to be happy. You deserve to have someone who cares about you, and Kon is a nice guy. A little dumb and a huge flirt, but a good guy.” She leaned forward, tried to take his hand. “Just let your guard down a little, okay? You’re allowed to be happy. You’re allowed to fall—”

“I don’t want to be the second choice for a guy who wanted to fuck my sister but didn’t have a chance,” he snapped, snatching his hand away and baring his teeth. “Not again.”

“Hyunjin…” Her voice was too soft. Trying to mask the wound that he’d just dealt her, ripping her open so he wasn’t the only one who was hurting. “I… I didn’t know that Shin was—”

“Just… just drop it, okay?” Downing his shot, he stood up. He couldn’t look at her. If he did, he knew he’d fall apart. “Get your guy to come pick you up. I’m tired of this.”

“Jin, please—”

Ignoring her pleading, the pain in her voice, Hyunjin turned away and stormed down the hall. Although he didn’t slam it, the click of the door behind him seemed deafening. Stripping down, he put in his earbuds. He didn’t want to hear Drake when he came in. Didn’t want to hear the pain in his sister’s voice. Didn’t want to have to listen to two people who had found their other half talk to each other and pretend that it didn’t wound him. With shitty kpop songs blasting that reminded him of the old days, days when they were all kids and had no clue about the heartache that was waiting for them once they’d grown up, Hyunjin closed his eyes, and did his best to pretend that he’d be able to sleep.

\---

Shangri-La was not Hyunjin’s kind of place. Too well lit, too clean. Too expensive. Too many fucking fancy drinks on the menu. The bartenders and servers even wore fucking uniforms. Add to that the fact that it was hot with all the bodies packed in and he had to wear long sleeves to hide his tattoos… Well, he wasn’t exactly in the best mood. He’d slept like shit, had to dodge questions from his mother about why he looked so grumpy, what his plans were. And Tae had been so goddamn cheerful, refused to shut up even though Hyunjin clearly hadn’t wanted to talk.

Kent, however, looked like he was having the time of his life. While Hyunjin slumped in the booth they’d found in the corner, the guy was ordering rounds like it was the end of the world, hitting on the servers shamelessly. Hyunjin had refused the drinks he was offered. Instead, he glared at the glass of water in front of him, watching the condensation slip down the sides.

“You look like this is fucking torture, bro,” Kent said, throwing back a shot of tequila and grinning that big, stupid, charming grin of his.

“Yeah, maybe it is,” Hyunjin snapped. “Maybe you missed this the first fucking fifty times I said this, but if any of these triads figure out who I used to work for, it will ruin everything. I’m literally in the middle of enemy territory. And we came here to investigate. Not to try and get laid.”

“Two birds, one stone, right?” Kent grinned, resting his chin on his fist. “Besides, I can’t get drunk. It’s just for show, man. Easier to blend in if we’re letting loose, right?”

“Much as I hate him, I wish Red Hood wasn’t AWOL.” The Wolf shook his head, glaring at a dude who passed their table that had a Neon Dragon tattoo on his neck. “He beefed with the Neon Dragons before, right? Could’ve used him.”

“Yeah, well, he’s not returning calls. As good as he is at busting organized crime, I’m afraid you’re stuck with me instead.” Kent shrugged, picking up the other shot he’d lined up. “And you can’t tell me that you haven’t beefed with these guys before yourself. Your old family wasn’t exactly known for being friends with the triads.”

He wasn’t wrong. Hyunjin had, in fact, beefed with the Neon Dragons. But it had been a couple of years ago, a squabble over some territory that the triads had wanted to add to their drug running operation. Bloody, messy. Like a lot of the things he had done. But it hadn’t gone on long enough for him to really learn anything about the Neon Dragons, other than the way their blood tasted and how they screamed when they died. Hyunjin wasn’t a detective. He wasn’t precise, able to cut through to the heart of the issue the way Areum and Drake could. He was more like a sledgehammer, blunt and heavy and destructive. Although he tried his best, he wasn’t suited for the job past his knowledge of the way Gotham’s underground worked and his ability to do what the others weren’t willing to.

Grunting, he ran a hand through his hair. Tried to look like he was just having a bad day, not like he was pissed to be surrounded by people who wanted him dead. When Kent quietly passed the shot over to him, he stared down at it.

“You know that I can actually get drunk right?” Hyunjin asked, quirking an eyebrow.

“I know.” Kent just smirked, tapping the table next to the drink. “Loosen up. We didn’t come here to guarantee a fight. We came here to do a little investigative work. One shot won’t hurt.”

“Do you ever have any ideas that aren’t fucking awful?” he snapped back, shoving the drink away. “No. I need to keep sharp.”

“I don’t know, I think sticking around you has been a pretty good idea so far.” Kent shrugged, taking the shot glass back and throwing back the tequila. “But hey, you don’t want to, I’m not gonna force you.”

Eyes narrowed, Hyunjin watched him for a moment. Let the other smells and sounds and sights of the busy bar fall away, honed in on the man across from him. He watched for the smallest facial tic to indicate deception. For a spike in his scent to indicate that he was lying. For an increase in his heartbeat, for him to start sweating. But, frustratingly enough, Kent seemed to be genuine.

It would have been easier if he were lying. But Hyunjin didn’t know what to do with genuine.

“What do you get out of all of this, Kent?” Hyunjin asked, slumping further in his seat and glowering at the Kryptonian. “A bit of a distraction from the utopia that is Metropolis? A bit of a thrill before you go back to being a good little boy?”

“Do I have to get anything out of this?” Kent countered, leaning forward. “Not everyone is out to take advantage, you know. Some of us just want to help. Tim was in over his head, I didn’t have anything big to deal with…” He shrugged. “I wanted to help. That’s what I get out of this. Well, that and getting to see my best friend more often.”

“Bullshit.” Hyunjin snorted. “You really expect me to believe you’re slumming it out here just because you want to help?”

“Yeah.” The amusement had bled out of Kent’s expression. Instead he just looked… sad. Worried. It was, somehow, worse. “Look, bro, I know that you’ve… been through some shit. But not everyone has ulterior motives. This is an important thing to be doing, and I like spending time with you. That’s all it is.”

God, it was so much harder to deal with someone being honest and genuine with him. With each passing second, it was harder for Hyunjin to turn him away. Harder for him to deny that there was something about Kent that made him want to give in. Just a little. It would have been easy to just throw caution to the wind, to set aside all of his worries, his anxieties, his fears. But the simple fact of the matter was that Hyunjin wasn’t enough. He would never measure up. Ever.

“If you enjoy being around me, you need to get your head checked, dumbass.” Deflection was easy, Hyunjin’s gaze sliding to one of the men who had just come into the bar.

“Look, dude, I know that I joke around a lot but—”

“Shut up,” Hyunjin hissed. He ducked his head, shaggy hair falling in his face as the guy passed. Nostrils flaring, he scented the air, barely smothering the instinctive growl that rose in his throat. “Toxin.”

Before he could stand, Kent had put a hand on his shoulder, shoving him back down in his seat. Leaning forward with a false laugh, he pushed Hyunjin back with a strength he hadn’t exhibited before. Despite his cheerful expression, trying to keep up appearances, his eyes were narrowed.

“Don’t cause a scene,” Kent snapped back, voice low enough that only Hyunjin could hear. “They’re all packing.”

“But—”

“Scent them, as best you can,” he interrupted, gaze sharp as he watched the group of Neon Dragons that trailed behind the first guy. “There’s at least a dozen more in the back where they’re going. Maybe more.”

Right. His freaky x-ray vision. Hyunjin had forgotten about that. Although he wanted to push the issue, wanted to start a fight, wanted to get his knuckles bloody, he also knew that he wasn’t bulletproof like Kent. Grimacing, he closed his eyes, doing his best to trace their scents. It was hard, his instincts wanting to latch onto the sickly chemical smell of the modified fear toxin. But he pushed through the fear, took in as much as he could before the group had disappeared, blended in with the rest of the prey scents in the crowd. Sweat, cologne, aftershave, deodorant, a different signature to each one. It wasn’t enough to track them halfway across the city. But, if they came back…

“Got it?” Kent asked.

His hand was still on Hyunjin’s shoulder, no longer restraining but steadying. A light weight, enough that he could shrug it off if he wanted to. Opening his eyes, he looked up into Kent’s. Blue like a summer sky, narrowed in concern. Hyunjin looked away, brushing away the hand on his shoulder and pulling up his hood.

“Yeah,” he mumbled. “Not enough to track them across the city. But if we stake the place out, I can point them out.”

“You wanna get out of here?”

Hyunjin blinked, staring at Kent in surprise. Standing up, the Kryptonian dug an impressive amount of cash out of his pocket to cover the rounds he’d had, slapping it down on the table. Still in shock, Hyunjin stared at the money, then up at Kent, then back at the money. Blinking again, he frowned.

“You’re kidding, right?” he asked.

“Nope.” Kent jerked a thumb towards the entrance. “Dead serious. Let’s get out of here. We’ve done our work for the night. Let me take you somewhere nicer.”

“Nicer isn’t really my style.” Glancing back at the kitchen doors the group had disappeared through, the Wolf’s frown only deepened. “I think it’s better to stick around, see if—”

“Dude.” Kent reached out, grabbed Hyunjin by his hoodie and dragged him out of the booth. Ignoring the growl he got in response, he grinned. “Seriously. Take the rest of the night off. We can come back tomorrow before this place opens and work out a strategy for how to take these guys out. There’s a great diner not far from here that Tim and I used to go to. Let’s go, get some dinner, get some rest so we’re ready for what we’ve gotta do later.”

“But—”

“Let me take you out on a date. Just this once.” Snickering at the look of shock on Hyunjin’s face as he dragged him out of the bar, Kent flashed a truly devastating grin. “Oh, come on. I know you’re not that stupid and I’m not that subtle. Let me shoot my shot, dude.”

The smart thing to do would have been to punch Kent in the face and tell him to fuck off. To put some firm walls in place, to protect himself. Hyunjin had been through enough bullshit for a lifetime. Once this was all over, once they busted this last stash and handed the rest over to Drake and Cain, Kent would fly off back to Metropolis and think back on it all as nothing more than an adventure. Besides, Hyunjin had never been the dating type. He preferred hook ups, one-night stands, no strings attached. It was easier that way. Less messy. But…

“Fine.” It felt like pulling teeth, painful to say. But if Hyunjin was honest with himself, really honest, he wanted to say yes. Wanted to give in, wanted to believe that Kent wasn’t just settling for second best. “But if you piss me off, I’m walking right out.”

“Totally cool with me, dude.” Kent’s expression had brightened in a way that made it hard not to stare. “I promise you won’t regret it. Or, well, I hope you won’t.”

“I already am,” Hyunjin muttered, a bit shaken by how charming Kent’s sudden nervousness was. “You gonna let me go, or drag me around by the scruff of my neck all night?”

“Oh.” Kent let go of him, clearing his throat. The grin hadn’t faded though, an enthusiasm to it that was borderline infectious. “Right. My bad, bro.”

Grunting, Hyunjin readjusted his jacket, flipping his hood back up and making a wide gesture in front of them.

“You gonna take us there or what?”

To Kent’s credit, the diner really was close by. Just outside of Chinatown, no real signage to make it stand out. A true Gotham treasure, the type that can only be found by word of mouth and treasured by a select few worthy of the secret. Surprising, given that Kent was such a Metropolis boy, when he wasn’t going on about the Kents in Smallville. Perhaps Drake really had managed to get a streak of Gotham into him.

Sitting in a cracked leather booth near the back of the diner, far enough from the drunk college kids at the counter, Hyunjin let himself just… enjoy it. Enjoy the cheeseburger and fries that he ordered, enjoy listening to Kent talk about Metropolis and Smallville and his two dads and just how utterly different the two of them were. He got a strawberry milkshake, Hyunjin got a chocolate one. It felt normal. Almost too much so.

“Tell me more about you, bro.” Kent dipped a fry in his milkshake, leaned closer with a bright grin.

“Don’t know what there is to tell,” Hyunjin mumbled, swirling the straw.

“There’s a lot.” Eating another fry, the Kryptonian rested his chin on his hand. “Your favorite music, favorite movies, favorite food. Childhood dreams. Hopes for the future.”

“Why do you want to know?”

“Because I want to know you, duh.” Kent grinned, pushing the plate of fries towards Hyunjin. “More than the angry ex-gangster who’s out to get revenge for his family. I know you’ve got layers, dude. Like an onion.”

“Did… did you just quote Shrek at me?”

“Is it working?”

The chuckle that left him surprised Hyunjin. Coughing to cover it, he snatched a fry from the plate, hesitating for a moment.

“Is this really good?” Hyunjin asked.

“You’ve never had fries with your milkshake?” Kent shot back, eyes wide with shock. “Dude.”

“I didn’t exactly have a traditional childhood,” he pointed out.

“Dude. Clone.” Both of them snorted. “Guess we have that in common.”

“Yeah.” Sighing, Hyunjin dipped a fry into his milkshake, hesitating for a moment before he ate it. “Holy shit. Why haven’t I tried this before?”

“Amazing, right?” Kent laughed, taking a fry as well. “Tim introduced me to it first time we came here. Glad to pass along the secret.”

Hyunjin was quiet for a moment, eating a few more milkshake fries before he sighed. It would be easy to refuse, to keep Kent at a distance. But it was getting harder to do. There was just… something about the guy. Something about the way he smiled, the way his eyes looked in the shitty fluorescent lights that made Hyunjin want to give in just a little more. Take a risk, open himself up not just to potential hurt, but to something more. Maybe Areum was right. Maybe he did deserve more.

“You have to promise not to judge me,” he mumbled.

“No judgement, bro. Promise.” Kent grinned, looking eager.

“There’s this uh… pop-rock band that I really like from Korea, Day6.” Hyunjin looked away, staring at the surface of his milkshake, fiddling with the straw again. “I actually really like punk pop stuff. My Chemical Romance and Fall Out Boy and that shit. And trot. My mom listens to it all the time and I guess I just sort of absorbed it by osmosis.”

“Cute,” Kent chuckled, expression open and curious. “I wasn’t expecting that.”

“Yeah, most people don’t expect the six-foot something, tatted up criminal to be into music for Korean aunties. But here I am.” After a moment, he took a sip of his milkshake. “Layers.”

“I’m seeing that. Tell me more.”

And, god help him, he did. He told him about all the cartoons he watched growing up, about his obsession with shitty Korean gangster movies. He told him about how he’d wanted to take over the family dojang, about how he’d outgrown that. How he wanted to become something more, outside of his past and his family. Before he knew it, two hours had passed, they’d finished their milkshakes, and the drunken kids had stumbled out of the diner, leaving just the two of them. Blinking, he watched Kent eat the last fry, lean back in his seat.

“Sorry,” Hyunjin mumbled, glancing at the clock on his phone. He had missed texts from his mom, from Tae. “I didn’t mean to keep you so late, Kent.”

“Hey, I’m glad that you were even able to put up with me for this long.” Flagging down the waitress, Kent paid for the meals and the tip with cash before Hyunjin could argue. “And please, dude. Call me Conner.”

“… Right.” Hyunjin stood when Kent… when _Conner_ did, a strange feeling in his chest. “Well, uh, thanks for this, Conner. It was… It was fun.”

“It was.” The Kryptonian’s answering smile was soft, fond. None of the usual playfulness there. It was hard to look at him, so Hyunjin didn’t, head ducked as he followed him back outside. “You know… you deserve to have fun, Hyunjin. It doesn’t have to be all work all the time.”

Sighing, Hyunjin shook his head, pulling up his hood. While it was a nice concept, he wasn’t sold on it. Once his slice of the nightmare was dealt with, he’d have to figure out what the hell he was going to do with himself. He couldn’t live with his mother and his brother forever. It was only a matter of time until Areum moved in with Drake. His options would run out eventually, and he didn’t want to get sucked back into the underworld. Not again. He couldn’t do that to his family, to his pack. Once they busted the Neon Dragons, once Hyunjin handed it off, that would be it. He’d have to face the other side of reality that he’d been avoiding.

Maybe he could run off and live in the forests around Princeton as a wolf. Let his wildness really take over, remake himself as the wild thing he knew he was. But he’d miss the city. He’d miss his family, miss all the places he’d grown to love throughout his childhood.

“Nice as that sounds, it’s just not realistic. Reality’s gotta come crashing down, sooner or later. But I appreciated the distraction. You’re not as insufferable as I thought—”

Hyunjin was cut off by Conner shoving him against the wall, taking his face in his hands, and kissing him. Rooted in place, Hyunjin couldn’t react. He was frozen, staring up at Conner when he finally pulled back. The Kryptonian looked panicked, stepping back and holding up his hands.

“Shit, bro, I’m sorry. I should have asked first. I just… you looked…”

Before he could overthink it, before he could let his stupid, garbage brain think of some excuse to stop, Hyunjin grabbed Conner by the front of his shirt and kissed him back. Not as softly and gently as the clone had. That just wasn’t his style. But Connor immediately reciprocated, pressing him back against the wall, unafraid of the sharp teeth scraping over his lip, the claws curling into his shirt. Hyunjin growled into the kiss, his human mask slipping just a bit when Conner pulled back. For a moment, they simply stared at each other. Let what had happened really sink in.

“Oh,” Hyunjin said.

“Uh,” Conner said.

Letting go of Conner’s shirt, Hyunjin ducked beneath his arm, pulling his hood further over his face. Tried to hide whatever was showing.

“I should… I should go,” Hyunjin finally said, shoving his hands in his pockets. “My family are probably wondering where I am.”

“Uh… yeah.” Conner blinked, expression troubled as he stayed where he was, watched Hyunjin slowly walk backwards. Away from what had just happened. “I’ll… see you tomorrow?”

“Yeah.”

With one last nod, Hyunjin turned on his heel and walked away as fast as he could. He didn’t even know if he was going in the right direction. He just needed to get away. Away from the moment of weakness he’d allowed himself to have.

Hyunjin didn’t do feelings. Hyunjin didn’t date. Human relationships were too messy, too prone to failure.

As he walked back home, heart racing and the taste of Conner still lingering on his lips, Hyunjin knew, deep down, that he had fucked up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here it is, the first of the two hyunjin chapters!! he's honestly very fun and cathartic to write, so i hope y'all have enjoyed reading about him as much as i've enjoyed writing about him. 
> 
> [support me on ko-fi!](https://ko-fi.com/difficultheart)


	20. Extra Side B: Best Part

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> chapter warnings: violence, discussion of brain damage/seizures, anxiety mention, domestic abuse mention
> 
> _there isn't a single moment  
>  that's meaningless to me  
> this moment, not knowing when it ends,  
> is the best part_

Dragging himself into the apartment, Hyunjin put up his shoes and coat as quietly as he could, that odd, terrible feeling in his chest still lingering. He probably should have been happy. It had been a while since anyone had shown genuine interest in him, not just wanting to get something in exchange or a one night stand. But of course he’d panicked, run away. Groaning, he dragged himself down the hall to the kitchen, pausing when he saw his mother sitting at the table.

“Mom?” he asked, keeping his voice low. “What are you doing up so late?”

“Oh, baby.” Glancing back, she smiled as she spotted him. “I got home not long ago from seeing a couple of friends. I thought you were sleeping.”

“No, just got back.” He hesitated for a moment, picking up a couple of unfamiliar scents on his mother. Of course, he was glad that she had found people to spend time with other than her children but… whoever it was that she had been with (both that night and several nights before), they were decidedly _not_ human. Not only that, but he could smell a shift in her hormones that he was _not_ comfortable asking about. “I’d ask if Tae was home, but I think the whole block can hear him snoring.”

“Oh, I think it’s sweet.” His mother watched him closely, her smile faltering for a moment. “Jinnie, did something happen?”

“That obvious?” Hyunjin sighed, sinking down into the chair next to her. Although he’d tried his best to keep his expression neutral, his mother had always been able to read him like a book.

“A mother knows her child,” she told him softly, reaching out to take his hand. When he didn’t pull away, didn’t growl or snap, she stroked her thumb over the back of his hand. “You don’t have to tell me, baby. I know that you don’t like… talking about things. But if you do want someone to listen, I’m here for you.”

It was tempting to brush her off, to claim that it was nothing and he was just having a bad night. But he felt a bit raw. A bit more vulnerable than usual. Heaving a sigh, he slumped in his chair, unable to look her in the eye.

“Has Areum told you anything about Tim’s friend?” he muttered.

“Oh, Conner? Yes, of course she has. Tim tells me about him, too. Apparently he’s quite fond of you,” she said, smiling.

“I kissed him tonight.”

“Oh.” His mother blinked, her moment of surprise bleeding into open delight. “Oh, Jinnie, that’s great!”

“It’s not.” Hyunjin frowned, staring down at his hand clutched in her own. “I don’t… After it happened, I freaked out and ran away. Mom, I think I fucked up.”

Silent for a long moment, his mother simply watched him, holding his hand and scooting her chair closer to him. She let out a small sigh, squeezing his hand until he finally looked back up at her. Leaning forward, she brought her free hand up to cup his cheek.

“Allowing yourself to be vulnerable and feel something for this boy isn’t a mistake,” she told him, voice soft. “I know that you did not have a particularly healthy model for what relationships should look like growing up. That was my fault. But it’s okay for you to be happy. You keep punishing yourself, Hyunjin, even though all of us have already forgiven you.”

Hyunjin was silent, searching his mother’s eyes, her face. Her words were genuine, he knew they were, but it still seemed… strange, to have the dysfunctional environment he and his siblings had been raised in brought up so easily. It was a subject that they had all tiptoed around since his father had up and left, barely even talking to any of them outside of checking in on the business and letting them know that he was still alive. Leaning into his mother’s touch, he sighed, gaze dropping.

“I just… I don’t know if a relationship is something I want, or something that I can even handle right now,” he admitted. “You know that I… I never really dated much. And with the last bit of this hunt about to be wrapped up, me needing to find something to do…”

“You don’t have to jump straight into a relationship.” She gave his cheek a gentle pat. “But since you’ve been spending so much time with him and were willing to allow yourself even that small moment of vulnerability, it’s worth exploring. Set some boundaries. But don’t push away someone who you are interested in, just because you want to hurt yourself.”

“I don’t know if I deserve him.” It was a hard thing to say out loud, especially to his mother, who already carried so much guilt for how his life had turned out on her shoulders. “His family is… they seem like good people. I don’t think I could be enough.”

“My sweet, sensitive boy.” Tilting his head back up so that he was looking at her once more, his mother leaned forward, pressing her forehead to his. “You deserve the whole world. You will always be enough. And anyone who is chosen by you is blessed and lucky to have someone as wonderful as you care for them.”

“You’re just saying that because you’re biased,” he mumbled.

“I am biased, yes,” she admitted. “But I also know that I’m right. You deserve to be happy, baby. Don’t push away someone who wants to give that to you. You’ve always been the risk taker in the family. Embrace that.”

“Thanks, mom.” Hyunjin laid his hands over hers, lips twitching up in a smile when she pressed a kiss to the tip of his nose before leaning back. “For everything.”

“You’re welcome, Jinnie.” Giving his cheek one last pat, she stood up, running her fingers through his hair. “I’m just glad that you’re opening up. You’ll always be welcome here. No matter what. Now, do you want some tea? You can tell me all about tonight, or I can tell you about my day today and you can just listen. Whatever you want.”

“Yeah… Yeah, some tea would be nice.” Looking up at his mother, he gave her a genuine smile. “I think I’d like to hear about your day.”

Giving his head one last, gentle pat, she moved further into the kitchen to prepare tea for both of them. When she returned, Hyunjin let his fingers curl around the small mug, finding some comfort in the warmth against his hands. He listened to his mother tell him about her day (dealing with the finances, as she always had, making sure Jintae had gone to his doctor’s appointment, making dinner, going to see her friends but pointedly leaving out what they had done together), a strange sort of comfort bleeding in to him. It would have been easy to say that it was just the hot tea, the exhaustion that was beginning to set in.

But if he was really, truly honest with himself, Hyunjin knew that he was finally finding comfort in the pack bond that he had lost so many years ago.

\---

Crouched on a rooftop near Shangri-La, keeping an eye out for faces or scents that he recognized, Hyunjin quietly hoped that Conner wouldn’t show up. While it would be devastating, an acknowledgement of the mistake he’d made, it was probably for the best. His mother’s pep talk the previous night had made him feel a bit better about the kiss, about the blooming feelings he’d been denying for months, but there was still a part of him that hoped the problem would simply go away. That Conner would give up on him, like so many others had. It would make taking down this last stash a bit more difficult without the clone’s help. But Hyunjin had faced worse odds and survived. If he had to do it on his own, he was capable of it. Not only that, but if he needed to, he could swallow his pride and ask Drake for help.

“Hey, you’re here early.”

Hyunjin flinched at the sound of Conner’s voice, so lost in his own thoughts that he hadn’t smelled or heard the other man approaching. Letting out a low growl, he turned to see the Kyrptonian hovering just a few feet away from him, legs crossed and hands resting in his lap. There was no anger or hurt in the big, dimpled grin that he gave Hyunjin.

“Didn’t want to waste time,” Hyunjin grunted back at him, turning away and focusing his attention on the back door to the bar once more. “Figure they probably do most of their business before the place opens. Less potential witnesses.”

“Makes sense. Glad I thought to get here early, too.” Conner chuckled, still hovering as he laid back, folding his arms behind his head. “Looks like you’re rubbing off on me.”

“For your sake, I sure hope not,” Hyunjin grumbled back.

“Any movement so far? Signs of a deal or anything?” Conner asked.

“No,” Hyunjin grunted.

It was hard to focus with the Kryptonian floating next to him, looking casual despite how awkward and uncomfortable Hyunjin was. Although Conner was clearly trying to pretend like nothing had changed, to try and continue their weird working relationship, _everything_ had changed. For as casual and detached as Hyunjin had been with the other relationships he’d had, the men he’d slept with, there was something different about Conner. A line had been crossed, and he didn’t think that he could step back and pretend like it hadn’t been.

To Conner’s credit, he fell silent after that. Just continued to hover, watching the alley along with Hyunjin. It didn’t do much to alleviate the slow creeping awkward tension, but it at least didn’t make it worse. Still, it was strange to have the usually chatty clone be so quiet. Months of snapping at him, of insults, hadn’t managed it. Hyunjin wanted to be happy that he was actually getting a moment of peace for once. But it also just felt… wrong. As annoying as Conner’s constant stream of chatter had been, the silence was almost worse. There was no noise to pass the time, other than the distant sound of cars on the street and quiet chatter from pedestrians.

“Wait.” Hyunjin perked up when he caught a familiar scent. One of the Neon Dragons from the night before, the mixture of his sweat, cologne, and gun oil distinctive. “Someone’s coming.”

In the blink of an eye, Conner had moved to crouch down next to Hyunjin, out of sight. Just barely peeking over the edge of the roof, the wolf watched, eyes shifting to accommodate the distance and the slowly setting sun. The Neon Dragon was whistling as he approached, hands shoved in the pockets of his jeans and utterly unaware of anyone watching him. His body language was casual, relaxed, no edge of paranoia, fear, or anger to his scent. Good. That meant that none of them were expecting company. An element of surprise would help them, in case there were more inside, far enough away that Hyunjin couldn’t scent them.

“Is that…?” Conner asked, voice low, bending close to Hyunjin.

Fighting back an odd shiver down his spine, Hyunjin clamped down his jaw to keep back the sound that wanted to rumble up from his throat. His grip on the edge of the roof tightened, fingers itching as he kept claws from springing out from under his skin. He took a deep breath, focusing his attention back onto the man in the alley unlocking the back door.

“One of the Neon Dragons from last night, yeah.” Hyunjin hoped that Conner didn’t pick up on the slight edge to his voice, the tension in his muscles. “Probably coming in to start the day off.”

“What’s the plan of action?” Conner asked.

“Let’s wait and watch for a bit. See if anyone else comes in. If they don’t, we can move in. Take that one out, destroy the cache, and get out.” Flexing his fingers, Hyunjin sat back, surveying the alley once more. “Give it half an hour. Then we’ll move.”

“Be a bit anti-climactic after everything we’ve done if all we have to do is take out one guy to wipe out the modified toxin stash here in Gotham.” Conner sighed, laying on his back and staring up at the sky, the red sunset turning into a bruised purple.

“I’m fine with anti-climactic.” Hyunjin dug out a pack of cigarettes, tapping one out and lighting it. A bad habit, the smell of tobacco one that he found highly unpleasant. But he’d picked it up during his time on the streets before Shin took him in, something about the taste that coated the back of his tongue and the way it briefly sank into his lungs calming him. “Prone as I am to violence, it’d be nice to settle this somewhat quietly. Get it over with quickly before I can start over and you can fuck off back to Metropolis.”

There was a moment of silence. Hyunjin exhaled, letting the smoke crawl past his lips, and glanced over at Conner. The clone was looking at him with a strained expression, brow pinched and lips curled down. Taking another drag off the cigarette, Hyunjin quirked an eyebrow.

“What?” he asked, exhaling from his nose.

“Look, I…” Conner hesitated. Along with his uncharacteristic silence, he seemed to be having trouble finding the words he wanted to say. It was setting Hyunjin on edge. “About last night—”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Hyunjin’s voice was sharp when he cut him off.

“Dude, I really think we need to.” Conner watched him, his usual playful expression gone. “I’m sorry if I read the mood wrong. If you want me to fuck off after this and leave you alone, I totally get it. I just… I don’t know, man. There’s something about you. But if you’re not interested, I won’t push it.”

There were several options laid out for Hyunjin. He could shove Conner away, lie to him and tell him that he wasn’t interested in him and that he should fuck off and never bother him again; with Drake being Conner’s best friend, it was inevitable that they’d run into each other again, but Hyunjin could deal with the awkwardness. He could ignore Conner, refuse to speak about it any further, and drive him off that way; once again, there would be a layer of awkwardness and pain that would make interacting with Drake difficult. Or he could take the riskiest route out of all of them, the one that he didn’t know the outcome of; he could admit that he had reacted badly, that it wasn’t that he wasn’t interested, that he liked Conner despite what an annoying idiot he was and that he felt that something from the clone, too. Taking another long drag off the cigarette, Hyunjin tipped his head up, watching darkness overtake the light.

“It’s not…” He hesitated, grinding out his cigarette and running a hand over his jaw. _You are allowed to be happy,_ his mother’s voice reminded him. But was he? After everything he’d done, could he really just set it all aside so quickly and give up some kind of punishment? “It’s not that I’m not interested in you. Because despite how annoying and stupid you can be, there’s something about you, too. Maybe I got knocked in the head one too many times or something. It’s not you. I just… I freaked out.”

Conner let out a soft hum of understanding, sitting up. Hyunjin watched him from the corner of his eye, tense even as he pretended to be studying the night sky above him, the city lights muting the stars.

“Look, I know this isn’t necessarily the best time to be having, like, a deep discussion about feelings and stuff,” Conner said. He shifted closer to the wolf, pinkies brushing. A tentative touch, one that could be pulled away from easily. “But I just… I wanted to clear the air, y’know? Nothing has really gone totally wrong in the past couple months, but—”

“I get it.” Hyunjin hesitated for a moment before curling his finger around Conner’s, heart in his throat as he turned to look at him. “I know I give you a lot of shit, but… you seem like a good guy. Guess it just took me by surprise that you’d be interested in me past a quick fuck or a bit of fun.”

“You’re not the villain that you like to paint yourself as, you know?” Conner gave him a slow, gentle smile, their pinkies linked. “Irredeemable assholes don’t give up their whole lives to help out their family, or try to find ways to make themselves better people. We’ve all fucked up before. And look, I’m not gonna pretend to be perfect, either. I’ve done some really bad shit. It doesn’t matter that I was hurting, because I still hurt other people. But I work every day to be better. And I can see that spark in you, too. You may never be a paragon of virtue, but you have good in you. That’s why I like you.”

“What, you’re not attracted to my shady past or my bad tempter?” Hyunjin snorted, giving a half-smile in return.

“I knew that you were capable of making jokes!” Conner laughed, gently nudging him with his elbow. “But seriously, dude, I don’t want to pressure you into anything. I know that you’ve been through some shit, and if you’re not ready for anything, even casual, that’s fine. You just wanna be bros, we can be bros. But I’d like to give it a shot, if you want to.”

“How about we talk about that after we infiltrate a triad front and destroy a bunch of drugs designed to control me and my family?”

“Fair enough.”

Hyunjin didn’t need that distraction. It was good to clear the air, to know where each of them stood with the other. But god, he did not need to be worrying about if he was or wasn’t dating Superman and Lex Luthor’s son right before he entered a potentially dangerous situation. Even with just one Neon Dragon, there was still a chance of one of the vials of toxin breaking open, of Hyunjin losing control and Conner’s weakness to things of magical and occult nature making it difficult for him to get him back under control. Hell, there was even a chance that the triad could have some hidden meta gene that Hyunjin couldn’t smell; Areum was the only one in the family who could smell the subtle differences between a normal human and a meta, and even then, she had trouble. Although he wanted the end of his part of the trouble to be anti-climactic, there was no guarantee that it would end easy.

With Hyunjin’s luck, it was far more likely to end poorly. He hoped for the best but, if he was honest with himself, he expected the worst.

The rest of the half hour passed quietly, but without the awkward tension that had been there before. No one else approached the building, and Hyunjin reluctantly released Kon’s pinky. Although he’d never admit it, that small affection had been satisfying. Filled him with a warmth that was usually reserved for his family, his pack. Hyunjin did not want to unpack what _that_ potentially meant about what he felt for the clone. Instead, he pulled off his jacket, ignoring the amused snort Kon gave before he turned his head to look away while the wolf finished stripping down. Shivering slightly, he paused for a brief moment before shifting.

After another moment of hesitation, Hyunjin took a step forward and gently took the sleeve of Conner’s (stupid, tacky, honestly who even wore studs anymore) leather jacket in his mouth, tugging at it. When the clone turned, he grinned when he saw the wolf skin, immediately reaching out. Instinctively, Hyunjin let out a warning growl, flinching back. He wasn’t a pet dog, wasn’t used to a lifted hand meaning anything other than a cuff to the ear, a punishment for misbehavior, coming from anyone other than one of his siblings or his mother. Immediately, Conner stopped, his smile melting into a concerned frown.

“Whoa, sorry,” he mumbled, starting to pull his hand back. “Forgot that you’re not really into—”

Throwing caution to the wind, Hyunjin cut off his snarl, butting his head against Conner’s palm. When the clone didn’t immediately react, he gave a small wag of his tail, trying to ignore the slight sting to his ego. Hyunjin was a Wolf, a vicious hunter and a killer. And he was begging another man for pets.

But Conner spared him any further embarrassment, letting out a soft laugh as he carded his fingers through Hyunjin’s thick fur, giving him a scratch behind one of his ears that had the wolf letting out a soft, content sound. It was nice. Ridiculous, beneath him, and not fitting for a creature such as him. But Hyunjin couldn’t help but enjoy it. He was getting soft. But maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing.

“Knew there was a soft center somewhere in there,” Conner chuckled.

When Hyunjin let out a half-hearted growl, the Kryptonian merely laughed again, checking out the alley before he picked up the wolf and jumped off the roof. Hyunjin wasn’t pleased at how easily Conner was able to pick him up, like he was just a little puppy instead of a massive wolf, but didn’t fight being carried. He’d rather suffer a bruised ego than be dropped a few stories to the asphalt below. Conner set him down carefully, approaching the back door while Hyunjin shook out his coat, ears flicking as he approached and watched the clone use his superhuman strength to snap the lock right off the door. Grinning at the wolf, he tossed it back over his shoulder and held the door open.

“After you,” Conner said, voice low.

Rolling his eyes, Hyujin padded into the building, keeping his head low to the ground and scenting the air. The back hall was dark and silent, a mixture of scents, old and new, mixing together. The wolf slunk down the hall, pausing at a set of double doors, sniffing around them before he let out a soft whuff, gently tapping at the doors with a front paw. His ears flickered again as he picked up on a muted conversation behind them, at least two people inside. Conner stopped next to him, his eyes narrowed for a moment before he glanced down at Hyunjin.

“Two guys,” he whispered, soft enough that even the wolf could barely pick up the words. “Both armed. You go in first?”

Hyunjin gave an affirmative whuff, backing up a bit and crouching, muscles tensed as Connor placed a hand on one of the doors, watching the wolf. After a silent countdown, fingers held up from four to one, the Kryptonian busted the door down with a well-placed punch, sending it flying inwards. Immediately, Hyunjin leapt into action. Both of the Neon Dragons inside had been taken by surprise, hands flying to the guns tucked into their waistbands just a moment too late. Snarling, Hyunjin threw himself at the closest man, the larger of the two, his bulky body knocking the triad onto his back. Head cracking against the floor, the man was stunned long enough for the wolf to close his jaws around his neck and let his teeth sink in deep, ripping out his throat with one sharp twist of his head. Blood sprayed on his snout and face, warm and wet, the taste of it coppery and unpleasant on his tongue.

There was a click as the other triad cocked his gun, no fear to be found in the man’s eyes even at the appearance of a massive wolf killing his comrade. Time slowed to a crawl as Hyunjin tensed, muscles bunched, preparing to launch himself the fifteen feet or so between the twitching man beneath him and his new prey. Finger curled around the trigger, the Neon Dragon managed to fire off a shot as Hyunjin launched himself, the bullet ripping through his left shoulder. Ignoring the hot trail of pain through his shoulder and chest, the wolf twisted in the air, his hind legs slamming into the triad’s chest. The gun fell out of his grip, skidding a foot or so away as Hyunjin twisted and began to tear into the man’s groin, high pitched screams drowning out the roar of his heartbeat.

Conner was there in the blink of an eye, fist landing a blow to the triad’s jaw that audibly shattered most of the bones in his face, the screams abruptly cutting off as he was knocked cold. Hyunjin tore out a bit more flesh before he released his grip, blood dripping from his snout as he limped off of the unconscious man. The clone glanced at him with visible concern, at the blood that was already matting the fur of his left leg and chest. Ignoring him, the wolf worked through the dull pain, lowering his head and making his away around equipment that reeked of the toxin, eventually stopping in front of a large safe. He pawed at it, giving a sharp sound of displeasure when Conner hesitated.

They didn’t have time for this. The bullet hadn’t been silver, so Hyunjin would heal quickly, the bleeding stopping any moment. But there was a possibility that more triads could walk in at any moment, their own shifts simply starting later. Growling, Hyunjin limped back over to Conner, tugging at the hem of his shirt, dragging him over to the safe. Without hands and the x-ray vision that the clone had, he couldn’t do anything about the stash of fear toxin inside of the safe. And frankly, he didn’t feel like shifting and trying to figure out the combination while naked in his human skin. After a few more sharp tugs, Conner finally relented, crouching in front of the safe and using his heat vision to cut open the locking mechanism. Once he’d wrenched the front off its hinges, they both stared inside, the sheer amount of vials of the toxin staggering. The safe was waist high and stuffed to the brim with them. It was enough to gas every Wolf in Gotham that Hyunjin was aware of at least four times over.

“Fuck,” Conner mumbled, slinging his duffel bag off his shoulder and opening it, carefully stuffing the vials inside. The thing was almost impossible to close, once every single vial had been placed inside, full to bursting. “We’ll bring these to Tim, let him do whatever tests he wants on them and then dispose of them. I figure lasering them probably isn’t the best idea.”

With a wolf in the room? The worst idea ever. Just the muted smell of it, hidden behind layers of glass and canvas, was setting him on edge, light-headed from the stench of it and minor blood loss. Before he could snap or growl, Conner had carefully hauled Hyunjin over one shoulder, the bag slung over the other as he dashed out of the building, moving with a speed that made the wolf’s head spin. Before he knew it, they were back on top of the roof, Conner setting the bag down and carefully lowering Hyunjin as well. Biting back a whine at the sharp bolt of pain he felt putting weight on his left leg, the wolf didn’t bother to make sure that the clone was looking away before he shifted back to his human skin, the change pulling at the wound in his shoulder and making him hiss. Pulling on his jeans, he glanced back at Conner, Hyunjin’s left arm and chest slick with blood.

Conner had moved to retrieve Hyunjin’s shirt, ripping one of the long sleeves into strips and pointedly looking away. Only once the wolf had cleared his throat did he look over at him, stepping closer and carefully using the strips of fabric as makeshift bandages. The bleeding had mostly stopped, but the bandages would at least keep the fucking thing from reopening until he could get to Areum’s apartment and use her first aid kit to patch himself up. There was no way in hell he was showing up to the dojang in the state he was in; his mother would have an absolute _fit_ , and he wanted to avoid feeling any worse than he already did.

“Maybe I should’ve gone in first,” Conner mumbled, helping Hyunjin pull on what remained of his shirt and zipping up his jacket for him. “Since I’m bulletproof.”

“It’s fine,” Hyunjin bit out, wiping at the blood on his mouth and chin with the back of his hand. “Stupid mistake on my part. Should’ve moved faster. I’ll be fine, anyways.”

“Of course you’d be another one who shrugs off getting shot,” Conner grumbled, although there was more concern in his voice than annoyance. “Between you and the Bats, I swear you’re all bullet magnets.”

“Trust me,” the wolf told him, deciding to be compliant and let Conner wrap an arm around his waist, the clone carrying him off the rooftop and back down to the street. “I’ve had worse. Been shot more times than I can count.”

“You say that like it’s supposed to make me feel better.” The Kryptonian didn’t release Hyunjin even once they were in the alley, keeping a firm grip on the wolf’s waist and guiding him to lean against him as they slowly made their way back out of Chinatown, taking back alleys and side streets. “Where am I taking you?”

“I can walk there myself,” Hyunjin grumbled, tips of his ears flushed in embarrassment when Conner pulled up the wolf’s hood, obscuring his face just to be safe. “You should get those vials to Drake, let him—”

“I am not letting you drag yourself all the way home with a massive bullet wound in your shoulder, freakish healing or not,” Conner interrupted, eyes narrowed when he glanced over at him. “Where are we going? I want to make sure that you’re okay before I even think about taking this shit anywhere else.”

The tone of his voice made it clear that there was no room for argument, harder and sharper than Hyunjin had ever heard it. Between the dizziness he felt from the wound and the instinctive lightheadedness he felt at the smell of the modified toxin, he wasn’t in a mood to argue. Better to just go along with it, for the moment. Later, he could be argumentative and difficult again, back to himself. Swallowing his pride for what felt like the hundredth time that day, he quietly directed Conner through the streets of Gotham to Areum’s apartment. He let the clone take the spare key from his pocket, unlock the front door to the complex and lead him up the stairs. By the time they had reached Areum’s floor, taken only three steps, she was already out the door, eyes wide when she spotted them.

“Hyunjin, oh my god.” She tried to keep her voice low, rushing over to them, Conner letting go of him once she’d wrapped her arms around him. Her nostrils flared, her nose wrinkling as she smelled the blood on him. “What the hell happened?”

“Got shot,” Hyunjin mumbled, trying not to put too much weight on his tiny sister, even though he knew she could handle it. His ego was damaged enough; he didn’t want Conner to see him getting carried off by a girl who was barely even five feet tall. “Already stopped bleeding, so—”

“You got _shot?_ ” she hissed, glaring up at him.

“It was my fault. I should’ve been first in the door, since I’m bulletproof, but I let him take the lead.” Conner kept his voice low as well, hands shoved in his pockets, looking a bit sheepish.

“Don’t apologize.” Areum sighed, letting Hyunjin slump against her, familiar scent calming him down and overriding the terrible chemical sting of the toxin. “Thanks for carrying his sorry ass here.”

“You got him from here? I can stay, help out if you need me to,” Conner offered.

Hyunjin caught the sly look that Areum threw Conner from the corner of his eye, letting out a low, soft groan. What were the chances that his mother had blabbed to her about the moment he’d had with the clone the night before? He suspected that she’d stayed quiet, and that it was just his twin and her frustrating ability to pick up on the emotions of people around her with terrifying accuracy. Wrapping her arms tighter around him, she lifted him off his feet, ignoring the growl he let out in answer.

“Nah, I got him. I’m guessing that whatever you’ve got in that duffle bag is pretty important, right? Go do what you’ve gotta do with it, Kon. I’ll patch up the idiot.” Hoisting him up further, she took a step back towards the apartment. “Let me know when you’re done. Steph and Harper are out of town this week, so I’ll let him stay the rest of the night with me.”

“Thanks, Areum.” There was pure relief in Conner’s voice, none of the usual thick layer of flirtation.

“No need to thank me. I’ve patched him up before, I’ll patch him up again.”

With that, Hyunjin heard Conner turn and leave, heavy footfalls indicating that he was likely taking the stairs two at a time. Even with his super speed, it would still take time to get to Drake’s little hideout, especially if he was being careful not to break any of the vials. Once they both heard the door to the stair well shut behind him, Areum pulled back enough to give him a pinched frown.

“You have got _so much_ fucking explaining to do, Jinnie,” she told him, dragging him down the hall and into her apartment.

Letting out a low whine, Hyunjin resigned himself to his plight, distantly missing the solid warmth of Conner’s body and the curl of his arm around his waist. Not that he would ever admit it.

\---

Against his will, Hyunjin sat in an examination room in one of the clinics Kurokawa had set up the next day, gritting his teeth as a nurse listened to him breathe. Cotton ball pressed against the inner crook of his elbow, he tried not to growl at how cold her hands were. If he’d had his way, he wouldn’t have even been there. He’d avoided going to one of the clinics for months. But Areum had bullied him into it, insisted that he get himself checked out after so much exposure to the fear toxin. When he’d pointed out that not all of it was direct, she’d simply turned her Sad Puppy eyes on him.

One day, he’d be able to say no to the sad puppy face when his twin turned it on him. But that day was far, far in the future. She sat in a chair in the corner of the room, thick textbook in her lap, chewing on the end of her highlighter. While she claimed that she’d come with him after her morning classes as ‘moral support’, they both knew it was really because she didn’t trust him to go unless someone was there to force him to. Jotting down more information into her tablet, the nurse gave Hyunjin a tight, professionally polite smile.

“I’ll get these blood samples sent over to the lab, you should get your results in the next 24 hours. The doctor will want to see you as well, just to go over a few details she may notice in the initial physical and questionnaire,” she explained, locking the tablet and tucking it under her arm.

“Can I put my shirt back on?” Hyunjin asked, eyes narrowed.

“Of course.” The nurse had a short spike of embarrassment in her scent, tips of her ears going red before she turned away, quickly leaving the room.

“Did they make you take your shirt off?” he asked Areum, pulling his shirt on with only a bit of difficulty, the still healing wound in his shoulder stinging.

“No, but I haven’t been repeatedly exposed to a toxin that causes neurological and physiological damage to my body. They didn’t do a full physical.” She glanced up at him, lips twitching into a smile. “But I can take my shirt off in solidarity, if you want.”

“Please don’t.” He scowled at her, leaning forward to brace his elbows on his knees. “It’s bad enough that you made me come here and give some corporation some of my body fluids. Don’t make me have to suffer through you, too.”

“Ouch.” Areum placed a hand on her chest in mock insult, eyes comically wide. “I bring you here, get you free medical care, and this is how you thank me? By insulting me?”

“Didn’t ask for free medical care, didn’t want it,” he grumbled, glaring at her. “I’m only doing this because you forced me to.”

“We both know you were going to do this, sooner or later.” She rolled her eyes, closing her textbook and slipping it and the highlighter into her backpack. “It’s just one less thing to worry about, Jinnie. As much as we’d both love to think that this whole situation has officially been taken care of, I think I can speak for both of us when I say that there’s still a chance this shit could pop up again at any time.”

She was right, of course. Although Cassandra Cain was working on tracking down supplies in Hong Kong, making sure they didn’t find their way back, as long as there were triads in Gotham and some wannabe chemist who wanted to make a quick buck and had no morals, there was always a chance that something like the modified fear toxin could find its way back onto the streets. And even without the toxin posing a threat, his body was a ticking time bomb. There was no telling when he would have a seizure like the ones Jintae had suffered from before he got his medication.

Before he could snap back at her, try to pretend like he didn’t know that what she was saying was logical and true, the door opened and a familiar scent wafted into the room. Jasmine and Sandalwood and something not quite human, an underlying vulpine smell.

“Hey, Dr. Kurokawa,” Areum said, greeting the woman who stepped into the room.

“Hello, Areum.” Dr. Sumiko Kurokawa gave his twin a warm smile, closing the door behind her. Stilettos clicking against the linoleum floor, she had the tablet the nurse had been working with tucked under her arm as she approached Hyunjin. There was a wicked glint in her blue eyes as she extended her hand towards him. “You must be Hyunjin. I’ve heard a lot about you from your mother and your sister.”

 _Of course_ it would be Areum’s boss who his mother smelled like when she came home late at night from seeing her “friends”, cheeks flushed and hair still mussed. Frowning, he stared at her hand for a long moment, only shaking it when Areum let out a low warning growl.

“So, you’re one of the _friends_ that Mom goes to see. I recognize the smell.” Hyunjin pulled his hand back quicker than was polite, brow furrowed as he looked the woman over.

“I am.” The doctor’s smile had curled into a knowing smirk, not at all insulted by his rudeness, but visibly amused. “My wife and I have quite enjoyed Ara and her _companionship.”_

Immediately, Hyunjin looked over at Areum, eyes narrowing into an accusatory glare. His sister worked for this woman. There was no way she _hadn’t_ known, considering she was the best out of the whole pack at picking up scents, and the doctor surely smelled at least a little bit like their mother after the nights they spent together.

Areum pointedly looked away, fiddling with the zippers on her backpack, although he saw the telltale flush at the back of her neck that meant she was hiding how embarrassed she was. As tempted as Hyunjin was to demand if Kurokawa and her wife were _fucking his mom,_ he didn’t want to have that mental image stuck in his head.

“So, doctor,” Areum said, cutting through the tense atmosphere and swiftly changing the subject, “you must have some questions for Jinnie.”

“I do.” Blessedly, Kurokawa switched gears, her expression settling into one of professional neutrality as she unlocked the tablet and leaned back against the little countertop across from the examination table Hyunjin sat on. “Since we know that you’ve had continuous exposure to this toxin, both indirect and direct, I think it’s safe to consider you high risk for epileptic activity in your brain. Frankly, the fact that you haven’t had an episode yet is something of a miracle. I’m going to send you home with a prescription similar to your younger brother’s, as a preventative measure. I’d also like you to come in for a brain scan, so we can see if there’s been any damage and do our best to repair it.”

“You think that I have _brain damage?_ ” Hyunjin demanded, hard edge to his voice.

“When we first examined the children who were used to attack the gala, there was some damage to certain centers of the brain. Wolves do have quite impressive regenerative abilities, but there are certain neuroblockers and hormonal therapies that can help us help you reverse some of that damage.” Kurokawa glanced up from the tablet, lips curled down into a concerned frown. “You also said that you had moments of time that you couldn’t remember and dizzy spells on your questionnaire. How frequently have these happened?”

“Uh… Not super frequently,” he mumbled, slumping under the alarmed look that his sister aimed at him. “Just thought it was my anxiety or something.”

“They’re also signs of focal seizures with impaired awareness,” Kurokawa told him. “Not all seizures are dramatic or involve muscle spasms and complete loss of control of the body. Seizures are caused by disruptions in the electrical impulses that your brain sends. It’s possible that your exposure caused you to develop a specific type of epilepsy that we’ve seen in other Wolves. Getting it under control before you experience a grand mal seizure is imperative. Right now, it’s focal, but without treatment it could turn generalized and effect other parts of your brain.”

“So, basically, my brain is seconds away from exploding is what you’re saying,” he sighed.

“Not exploding, no.” The doctor’s smile was gentle, a warmth in her eyes that disarmed him. “But it’s a good thing your sister was able to convince you to come in before anything serious happened. Don’t worry, Hyunjin. We’ll make sure to take care of you.”

“Just like that?” he asked.

“Just like that.” Dr. Kurokawa typed in a few more notes on the tablet, nail tapping softly against the screen. “You use the same pharmacy as your siblings, is that correct?”

“Uh.” Hyunjin glanced at Areum, who gave him a sharp nod. “Yeah. Sure.”

“Perfect. I’ve gone ahead and sent over prescriptions for your epilepsy medication and some painkillers for your shoulder. They’re one of the pharmacies partnered with these clinics, so there will be no questions asked and they’ll be discreet.” Locking the tablet, she folded her hands in front of her, head tipped to the side. “Do you have any other questions for me?”

“Not… right now,” he mumbled, rubbing at the back of his neck. “When do I need to come in for the brain scans?”

“You can schedule an appointment at the front desk. Our hours are flexible, so you can come in at any time. Everything will be done here at the clinic, unless we spot something that requires more specialized care. And even then, you’ll be directly under my care. No other doctors will see your medical records.” Standing up straight once more, she glanced over at Areum. “I’ll see you later tonight?”

“Yes, Doctor.” Areum smiled back up at her, open and fond. “Thanks again. We all appreciate it.”

“Just glad that I can help.” Once more, Kurokawa extended a hand to Hyunjin. “I’ll look forward to seeing you tomorrow, Hyunjin.”

“Yeah.” Hesitating for only a moment, he gave her a firmer handshake, let her be the first to pull away. “Thanks, I guess.”

With a small chuckle and a warm smile, Dr. Kurokawa gave him a tiny wave and left the room, leaving the door open. Hyunjin turned on Areum, who had stood up, backpack slung over her shoulder.

“When were you going to tell me that your boss was _sleeping with Mom?_ ” he hissed, keeping his voice low.

“I was hoping you’d never find out, honestly.” His twin snorted when he glared at her, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and dragging him out of the room with her. “Just… forget that you even found out, okay? Trust me, I don’t think that’s a mental image of us either of us want.”

“You’re still a traitor,” he grumbled, but he went along easily as she took him to the front desk.

Making an appointment for later the following day, Hyunjin took the little appointment reminder card and shoved it into the pocket of his jeans, shrugging his jacket back on as they stepped outside. Spring was rapidly approaching, the slush and ice on the streets already beginning to melt away. Soon it would be time for their family trip to the woods, the few days a year when they all allowed themselves let go and be wild, be their true selves. Areum wasn’t going to be able to go with the rest of the pack, her spring break not working out with Jintae’s, but she had insisted it was fine. Hyunjin half expected it was an excuse for her to make a romantic vacation with Drake out of it, but he also didn’t have the guts to accuse her of it. She walked with him to the pharmacy, kept him company as he paid for the pills and made his way back towards the dojang. Their mother was going to interrogate him about why he hadn’t come home the previous night, but he figured he could handle it.

They stopped in front of the dojang, watching Cheoljin lead a group of little kids through basic forms, their movements clumsy with youth and lack of practice. Areum let out a soft sigh, resting her head against his arm.

“I’m really proud of you,” she whispered.

“Why?” Hyunjin snorted, glancing down at her. “I’m still a piece of shit.”

“You’re not a piece of shit.” She glanced up at him, frowning. “Don’t keep letting what Dad used to say about you color the way you see yourself. You’re welcome and wanted in the pack. You know that.”

“Still not hearing a reason for you to be proud of me.”

“Oh my god,” she groaned, “you are so annoying sometimes.” Pressing closer against him, she nuzzled her cheek against his arm. “Jinnie, two months ago, there was no way you would have agreed to going to that clinic, puppy eyes or not. You’re making friends and trying to better yourself. Helping out Mom and Tae. And you’re actually considering taking a chance on Kon. I know it probably doesn’t feel like much to you, but… you’ve gotten better. And I’m so proud of you.”

“If you make me cry, I’m going to punch you,” he mumbled, eyes stinging.

“We’ll work on the threats of violence.” Areum giggled, going up on her tiptoes and reaching up to ruffle his hair. “But I wanted to let you know. I’m not the only one who’s proud of you, either. We all are. I know that you want to start over, now that this whole business with the fear toxin is over. But I’d like it if you stuck around for a while longer.”

“Yeah.” Bending down so that she didn’t have to strain to reach him as much, Hyunjin let himself smile, basking in his sister’s happiness. A year ago, they never would have had such an open conversation, would have still had an awkward, pained tension between them. “I think I might like that, too.”

“Can you do me a favor, since I did one for you today?” she asked, pulling back and adjusting her backpack.

“Depends on the favor.”

“Call Kon.” There was a knowing look in her eyes as she took a step back. “Take a risk. I don’t think you’ll regret it.”

Before he could respond, she gave him a short wave, jogging off towards the subway. She’d had to take time off from her fellowship to take him to the clinic, and no doubt had to hurry to get back there to take care of whatever work still needed to be done. Hyunjin watched her until she turned a corner and was out of sight, footsteps so distant he could barely even hear them anymore. Taking a deep breath, he dug his phone out of his pocket, navigated to the “바보 야” contact. Scrolled through all of the texts that he’d ignored, the ones he’d never responded to. Strings of emojis and misspelled words. Exhaling heavily, he walked into the dojang and pressed the tiny phone icon next to Conner Kent’s contact.

\---

Conner was already at the diner by the time Hyunjin got there, glancing nervously at his phone, two milkshakes and a huge plate of fries in front of him. Forcing himself to have a neutral expression as he approached, Hyunjin almost cracked when the clone looked up and spotted him, immediately standing and slamming his knee against the table.

“I’d ask if that hurt, but I know it didn’t.” Hyunjin snorted as he slid into the booth across from Conner, one corner of his lips twitching up when he saw that he’d ordered a chocolate shake for him. “I’m not late, am I?”

“Oh, no.” Conner cleared his throat, sitting back down, face flushed with embarrassment. “I just got here early.”

“That eager, huh?” Hyunjin asked.

“Yeah.” The frank admission took the wolf by surprise, Conner’s smile open and bright. “Your shoulder okay? You doing good? Areum said you were fine, but she also knew I was pretty upset, so—”

“I’m fine.” Hyunjin cut him off, reaching out to pick up a fry and dunk it in his milkshake. “I heal faster than humans, remember? Nothing I can’t deal with. But…” He paused, clearing his throat, voice low. “Thanks for worrying.”

When Hyunjin glanced up, eating his fry, he found Conner staring at him, eyes wide.

“What?” he snapped at the Kryptonian.

“Nothing, just… You’re really cute when you’re embarrassed,” Conner said, resting his chin on his hand and looking fondly at the wolf.

“Shut up,” Hyunjin snapped, ears flushing as he shoved another fry in his mouth.

“Yeah, definitely cute.” Conner laughed, dodging the fry that the wolf threw at him, delighted at the reaction. “Look, as much as I love coming out here to stuff my face with junk food and spend time with you, I have to ask since you wouldn’t tell me on the phone… why did you ask me out?”

There was really no point in denying that it was a date. Hyunjin hadn’t said so explicitly, but he’d invited Conner back to the same diner, asked to have the same food. There was no way it could be anything _but_ a date. Swirling the straw in his milkshake, he paused for a moment. Hyunjin had never been particularly good with words, with expressing himself. And he didn’t want to mess it up. _Couldn’t_ mess it up. Not with his heart on the line.

“I didn’t get a chance to respond to you last night, after what you said. Since, you know, I got shot.” Clearing his throat, Hyunjin forced himself to look up at the man sitting across from him. “Look, I’m not going to pretend like I’m going to become a good person overnight. I’ve hurt most of the people I’ve loved one way or another, and I did some pretty evil shit before I got out of the gang. I… I’m bad with feelings, too. And trusting people. Dating was never really my thing, because human relationships are just so fucking messy, and I had my own shit to deal with. I’m not perfect. But I… I want to give this a shot. You and me.”

Conner’s expression melted into one of open, warm fondness, matching the feelings that were blooming in Hyunjin’s chest, sticky and syrupy sweet. The clone reached out, taking the wolf’s hand in his. His hand was as warm as his smile, fingers tangling with the wolf’s.

“I can’t promise I’ll be perfect either. And I’ve still got shit that I have to do back home, so I can’t always be present for everything, but…” Conner gave Hyunjin’s hand a gentle squeeze, leaning forward. “I’ll try my best. And we’ll take it one step at a time.”

“Yeah…” Hyunjin smiled, leaning forward as well. “One step at a time.”

When they kissed, it was soft and sweet. Nothing like the first, desperate, hungry kiss they’d shared just a couple nights before. Inhaling sharply, Hyunjin let himself scent Conner. Alien, different, not the usual ‘prey’ or ‘predator’ that Hyunjin was used to. But with a sweet edge, a musky undertone that was alluring. Like what he might smell running through the wild, thrilling and comforting all at once. When he finally pulled away, Hyunjin’s smile was warm and open, his bleeding heart on his sleeve.

But, for once, he wasn’t afraid. It was the first step into something new, something better. A change, but a good one. A fresh start. He’d told Areum before that he didn’t want a redemption arc, content to wallow in misery. But now, with dumb but kind hearted Conner and his family at his side, he was ready to take the first shaking steps towards being a better person.

And he couldn’t help but be excited to see where that journey took them all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and that's all, folks!! i hope you've enjoyed this fic, as it's been just... terribly self indulgent for me. also, i had to give jinnie the beginning to a happy ending for himself, so. i gave him a sweet himbo alien boyfriend to help.
> 
> thank you all so much for reading, giving me kudos, and leaving comments. i love you all so much. i hope you'll stick around to read what i have for you in the future.
> 
> see y'all on the flip side 
> 
> dr. sumiko kurokawa belongs to [the lovely, amazing mari](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bringmetea)
> 
> [support me on ko-fi!](https://ko-fi.com/difficultheart)
> 
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